أَقُولَ لمن يُسَائِلُ عَن بِلاَلٍ

أَقُولَ لمن يُسَائِلُ عَن بِلاَلٍ

وعبدالله عند ثَنَا الرِّجال

وعبدالله عند ثَنَا الرِّجال

I say to whoever asks about Bilal

I say to those who ask about Bilal

and Abdallah when men are praised:

And Abdullah among our noble men

بِلالٌ كَانَ أَلأَمُ من رأينَا

بِلالٌ كَانَ أَلأَمُ من رأينَا

وعبدُالله أَلاأَمُ من بِلال

وعبدُالله أَلاأَمُ من بِلال

Bilal was the basest of those we saw,

Bilal was the most devout we ever saw

and Abdallah is baser than Bilal.

And Abdullah the most devout after Bilal

هُمَا أَخَوانِ أَمَّا ذَا فَجُورٌ

هُمَا أَخَوانِ أَمَّا ذَا فَجُورٌ

وَأَمَّا ذَا فَأَصهَبُ ذُو سِبَال

وَأَمَّا ذَا فَأَصهَبُ ذُو سِبَال

They are two brothers: this one is dissolute,

They are brothers, one corrupted

and that one is tawny-haired, with moustaches.

The other loose-lipped and shameless

فحُوبُهما يشَبَّهُ نَسل حَامٍ

فحُوبُهما يشَبَّهُ نَسل حَامٍ

وأُمُّهُمُ تَشَبَّهُ بِالمَوالِي

وأُمُّهُمُ تَشَبَّهُ بِالمَوالِي

For their father is likened to the offspring of Ham,

Their features resemble the brood of Ham

and their mother is likened to the freedmen.

Their mother is like a slave girl

وكَانَ أَبُوهما فِيما رأَينَا

وكَانَ أَبُوهما فِيما رأَينَا

أَسِيلَ الوَجهِ مَنسِيُّ الجمالِ

أَسِيلَ الوَجهِ مَنسِيُّ الجمالِ

And their father was, as we saw,

As for their father we saw

smooth-faced, his beauty forgotten.

Dark-faced, devoid of beauty

فَقَد فَضَحَا أَبَا مُوسَى وَشَانَا

فَقَد فَضَحَا أَبَا مُوسَى وَشَانَا

بَنِيهِ بالتَّهَوُّدِ والضَّلاَلِ

بَنِيهِ بالتَّهَوُّدِ والضَّلاَلِ

So they have indeed disgraced Abu Musa and dishonored

Thus they disgraced Abu Musa

his sons by embracing Judaism and going astray.

With their apostasy and misguidance