أَبا لَهَبٍ تَبَّت يَداكَ أَبا لَهَب

أَبا لَهَبٍ تَبَّت يَداكَ أَبا لَهَب

وَتَبَّت يَداها تِلكَ حَمّالَةَ الحَطَب

وَتَبَّت يَداها تِلكَ حَمّالَةَ الحَطَب

O Abu Lahab, may your hands perish, O Abu Lahab!

Abu Lahab, may your hands perish

O Abu Lahab, may your hands perish, O Abu Lahab,

And may her hands perish—that bearer of firewood!

and may they perish too - those hands that carry the firewood.

And may her hands perish too—that carrier of the firewood.

خَذَلتَ نَبيّاً خَيرَ مَن وَطِئَ الحَصى

خَذَلتَ نَبيّاً خَيرَ مَن وَطِئَ الحَصى

فَكُنتَ كَمَن باعَ السَلامَةَ بِالعَطَب

فَكُنتَ كَمَن باعَ السَلامَةَ بِالعَطَب

You forsook a prophet, the best of those who trod the pebbles,

You abandoned the best Prophet to tread the stones.

You forsook a Prophet, the best of those who ever trod the earth,

So you were like one who sold safety for ruin.

So you are like one who sells well-being for misfortune.

And became like one who sold salvation for ruin.

وَخِفتَ أَبا جَهلٍ فَأَصبَحتَ تابِعاً

وَخِفتَ أَبا جَهلٍ فَأَصبَحتَ تابِعاً

لَهُ وَكَذاكَ الرَأسُ يتبَعُهُ الذَنَب

لَهُ وَكَذاكَ الرَأسُ يتبَعُهُ الذَنَب

And you feared Abu Jahl, and so became a follower

You feared Abu Jahl and so became his follower,

You feared Abu Jahl, so you became a follower

Of his; so too does the tail follow the head.

just as the tail follows the head.

To him—and thus does the tail follow the head.

فَأَصبَحَ ذاكَ الأَمرُ عاراً يُهيلُهُ

فَأَصبَحَ ذاكَ الأَمرُ عاراً يُهيلُهُ

عَلَيكَ حَجيجُ البَيتِ في مَوسِمِ العَرَب

عَلَيكَ حَجيجُ البَيتِ في مَوسِمِ العَرَب

So that affair became a disgrace that is heaped

So that matter became a disgrace that covers you,

So that deed became a disgrace heaped upon you

Upon you by the pilgrims to the House at the Arabs' seasonal gathering.

as pilgrims of the House heap reproaches upon you during the season of pilgrimage of the Arabs.

By the pilgrims of the House during the season of the Arabs.

وَلَو كانَ مِن بَعضِ الأَعادي مُحَمَّدٌ

وَلَو كانَ مِن بَعضِ الأَعادي مُحَمَّدٌ

لَحامَيتُ عَنهُ بِالرِماحِ وَبِالقَضَب

لَحامَيتُ عَنهُ بِالرِماحِ وَبِالقَضَب

And even if Muhammad had been one of the enemies,

And if Muhammad had been from some other enemy

And were Muhammad from among the enemies,

I would surely have defended him with spears and swords.

I would have defended him with spears and staffs.

I would have defended him with spears and sharp swords.

وَلَم يَسلِموهُ أَو يُضَرَّعَ حَولَهُ

وَلَم يَسلِموهُ أَو يُضَرَّعَ حَولَهُ

رِجالُ بِلاءٍ بِالحُروبِ ذَوو حَسَب

رِجالُ بِلاءٍ بِالحُروبِ ذَوو حَسَب

Nor would they have surrendered him until those around him were laid low—

And they would not have surrendered him, nor gathered humbly around him,

And they would not surrender him until laid low around him

Men of proven valor in war, of noble standing.

men of trials, hardened in wars, of noble lineage.

Were men of tested valor in war, possessors of noble lineage.