أَبو خَلَفٍ أَبو تَلَف

أَبو خَلَفٍ أَبو تَلَف

إِذا فاتَكتَهُ فَتَكا

إِذا فاتَكتَهُ فَتَكا

Abu Khalaf—father of ruin—

Abu Khalaf is the father of ruin.

when you engage him in mortal combat, he deals death.

If you assail him, he slays.

وَمَن يَحلُل بِساحَتِهِ

وَمَن يَحلُل بِساحَتِهِ

لِيُؤذِيَهُ فَقَد هَلَكا

لِيُؤذِيَهُ فَقَد هَلَكا

Whoever alights in his courtyard

And whoever alights in his courtyard

intending him harm has perished.

To harm him has surely perished.

هُوَ الرَّجُلُ المُحَبَّبُ وَال

هُوَ الرَّجُلُ المُحَبَّبُ وَال

مُكَرَّمُ حَيثُما سَلَكا

مُكَرَّمُ حَيثُما سَلَكا

He is the beloved man, and the—

He is the man beloved and

—honored one wherever he goes.

Honored wherever he goes.

يُرَجِّلُ جُمَةً عجلِيَّةً

يُرَجِّلُ جُمَةً عجلِيَّةً

شابَت وَما اِحتَنَكا

شابَت وَما اِحتَنَكا

He combs his long ʿIjlī locks,

He combs his ʿIjlite locks,

gray though he has not yet come of age.

Now gray, though he has not grown wise.

لَهُ سَيفٌ إِذا لاقى

لَهُ سَيفٌ إِذا لاقى

مَناطَ قَلايد بتكا

مَناطَ قَلايد بتكا

He has a sword that, whenever it meets

He has a sword that, when it meets

the necklace-hung neck, severs it.

The place where necklaces hang, severs it.

وَإِن هُوَ كَرَّ في الرَّو

وَإِن هُوَ كَرَّ في الرَّو

عِ جذّ الدرع أَوهَتَكا

عِ جذّ الدرع أَوهَتَكا

And if he charges amid the terr—

And if he charges amid terror,

—or of battle, he rends the armor or tears it apart.

He shears through mail or rends it.

وَيَطعَنُ طَعنَةً نَجلا

وَيَطعَنُ طَعنَةً نَجلا

تُغَلِّسُ أَينَما حَشَكا

تُغَلِّسُ أَينَما حَشَكا

And he delivers a broad, gaping thrust

And he deals a gaping stab-wound

that brings darkness wherever he plunges into the press.

That strikes in the predawn gloom wherever he rushes.