قدْ كانَ عبسٌ باسماً

قدْ كانَ عبسٌ باسماً

في كلِّ هولٍ يقعُ

في كلِّ هولٍ يقعُ

ʿAbs would remain smiling

Indeed, ʿAbs would smile

whenever any terror struck.

Amid every terror that arose.

الملحدونَ ابتهجوا

الملحدونَ ابتهجوا

بموتِهِ والشِّيَعُ

بموتِهِ والشِّيَعُ

The unbelievers rejoiced

The heretics rejoiced

at his death—and the partisans too.

At his death, and so did the sects.

ما كانَ يخشى منهُم

ما كانَ يخشى منهُم

فقلبُ عبسٍ سَبُعُ

فقلبُ عبسٍ سَبُعُ

He never feared them,

He did not fear them,

for the heart of ʿAbs was a beast of prey.

For ʿAbs's heart was a lion.