تَقُولُ قُريشٌ حِينَ خَفّتْ حُلُومُهَا

نَظُنُّ ابنَ هِنْدٍ هَائِباً لابنِ جَعْفَرِ

Quraysh say when their power waned,

"We think Ibn Hind's son seeks Ibn Ja'far."

فمِنْ ثَمّ يَقْضِي أَلْفِ أَلْفٍ دُيُونَهُ

وحَاجَتُهُ مَقْضِيّةٌ لم تُؤَخَّرِ

So he pays off thousands upon thousands of debts

And his needs are met, none delayed.

فَقُلْتُ دَعُوا لي لا أَبا لأَبِيكُمُ

فما مِنْكُمُ قَيْضٌ لَهُ غيرُ أَعْوَرِ

So I said, "Spare me! Not father of your father!

None of you can repay him but the one-eyed."

أَلَيْسَ فَتَى البَطْحَاءِ مَا تُنْكِرونَهُ

وأَوّلَ مَنْ أُثْنِي بِتَفُواهُ خِنْصَرِي

Is he not the young man of Bat'ha you deny?

The first whose cheeks my sword's edge caressed?

وكان أبو جَعْفَر قد سادَ قَوْمَهُ

ولم يَكُ في الحَرْبِ العَوانِ بِحَيْدَرِ

Abu Ja'far had led his people,

None aided him in war but Haydar.

فَما أَلْفُ ألفٍ فاسْكُتُوا لابنِ جَعْفَرٍ

كثيرٌ ولا أَمْثَالُها لي بمُنْكَرِ

Thousands upon thousands - hush! - for Ibn Ja'far,

Many they are! Their like to me's no shame.

ولا تَحْسُدُوهُ وافْعَلُوا كَفِعَالِهِ

ولن تُدْرِكُوهُ كُلّ مَمْشَى وَمَحْضَرِ

Envy him not, act as he acted,

You'll never catch him, wherever he appeared.