أَبا عَبدِ الاِلَهِ أَصِخ لِقَولي

أَبا عَبدِ الاِلَهِ أَصِخ لِقَولي

وَبَعضُ القَولِ يَصحَبُهُ السَدادُ

وَبَعضُ القَولِ يَصحَبُهُ السَدادُ

O Abu ‘Abd al-Ilah, listen to my words:

O Father of God, listen to my words

And some speech is accompanied by sound judgment.

Some words are accompanied by integrity

تَرى طَمساً تَعودُ بِها اللَيالي

تَرى طَمساً تَعودُ بِها اللَيالي

إِلى الدُنيا كَما رَجَعَت إِيادُ

إِلى الدُنيا كَما رَجَعَت إِيادُ

You see Tams, whom the nights bring back

You see a darkness returning with the nights

To the world, just as Iyad returned.

To the world as Iyad returned

قَبائِلَ جُذَّ أَصلُهُمُ فَبادوا

قَبائِلَ جُذَّ أَصلُهُمُ فَبادوا

وَأَودى ذِكرُهُم زَمَناً فَعادوا

وَأَودى ذِكرُهُم زَمَناً فَعادوا

Tribes whose root was severed, so they perished;

Tribes whose roots perished so they perished

And their memory vanished for a time—then they returned.

And their mention lasted a time so they returned

وَكانوا غَرَّزوا في الرَملِ بَيضاً

وَكانوا غَرَّزوا في الرَملِ بَيضاً

فَأَمسَكَهُ كَما غَرَزَ الجَرادُ

فَأَمسَكَهُ كَما غَرَزَ الجَرادُ

They had planted eggs in the sand,

They were plants in the sand as eggs

So it held them, as it holds the eggs locusts bury.

It held them as locusts held the eggs

فَلَمّا أَن سُقوا دَرَجوا وَدَبّوا

فَلَمّا أَن سُقوا دَرَجوا وَدَبّوا

وَزادوا حينَ جادَهُمُ العِهادُ

وَزادوا حينَ جادَهُمُ العِهادُ

Then, when watered, they walked and crawled,

So when they were watered they crawled and moved

And multiplied when successive rains drenched them.

And increased when the rivers overflowed for them

هُمُ بَيضُ الرَمادِ يُشَقُّ عَنهُم

هُمُ بَيضُ الرَمادِ يُشَقُّ عَنهُم

وَبَعضُ البَيضِ يُشبِهُهُ الرَمادُ

وَبَعضُ البَيضِ يُشبِهُهُ الرَمادُ

They are eggs of ash, which is split away from them;

They are the eggs of ashes split from them

And ash resembles some eggs.

And some eggs resemble the ashes

غَداً تَأتيكَ إِخوَتُهُم جَديسٌ

غَداً تَأتيكَ إِخوَتُهُم جَديسٌ

وَجُرهُمُ قُصَّراً وَتَعودُ عادُ

وَجُرهُمُ قُصَّراً وَتَعودُ عادُ

Tomorrow their brothers, Jadis, will come to you,

Tomorrow their brothers will come to you dirty

And Jurhum, short of stature; and ‘Ad will return.

And pull them short and Aad will return

فَتَعجِزُ عَنهُمُ الأَمصارُ ضَيِّقاً

فَتَعجِزُ عَنهُمُ الأَمصارُ ضَيِّقاً

وَتَمتَلِىءُ المَنازِلُ وَالبِلادُ

وَتَمتَلِىءُ المَنازِلُ وَالبِلادُ

So the cities will be too cramped to contain them,

So the cities will fail to contain them, crowded

And the dwellings and the lands will fill up.

And the houses and countries will fill

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم بادوا فَعادوا

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم بادوا فَعادوا

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم قَلّوا فَزادوا

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم قَلّوا فَزادوا

So I have never seen their like: they perished, then returned;

I have not seen the like of them who perished and returned

And I have never seen their like: they dwindled, then increased.

Nor the like of them few then multiplied

تَوَغَّلَ فيهِمُ سَفِلٌ وَخوزٌ

تَوَغَّلَ فيهِمُ سَفِلٌ وَخوزٌ

وَأَوباشٌ فَهُم لَهُمُ مِدادُ

وَأَوباشٌ فَهُم لَهُمُ مِدادُ

Lowborn folk and Khuz have penetrated their ranks,

Among them mingled lowly and Khawaz

And rabble; these are their reinforcements.

And riffraff so they are their supplies

وَأَنباطُ السَوادِ قَدِ اِستَحالوا

وَأَنباطُ السَوادِ قَدِ اِستَحالوا

بِها عَرَباً فَقَد خَرِبَ السَوادُ

بِها عَرَباً فَقَد خَرِبَ السَوادُ

And the Nabataeans of al-Sawad have already turned

And the dark-skinned Nabateans changed

Through it into Arabs; so al-Sawad lies ruined.

Among them to Arabs so the dark perished

فَلَو شاءَ الاِمامُ أَقامَ سوقاً

فَلَو شاءَ الاِمامُ أَقامَ سوقاً

فَباعَهُمُ كَما بيعَ السَمادُ

فَباعَهُمُ كَما بيعَ السَمادُ

So if the Imam wished, he could set up a market,

If the Imam willed he'd set up a market

And then sell them just as manure is sold.

And sell them as fertilizer is sold