إن ابنَ عدلانَ له حيلةٌ

إن ابنَ عدلانَ له حيلةٌ

يعجَزُ من رام تحلّيها

يعجَزُ من رام تحلّيها

Ibn Adlan has a stratagem indeed,

Indeed, Ibn Adlan has a ruse;

that baffles whoever tries to fathom it:

anyone who seeks to adorn himself with it fails:

نصفيةٌ فرّكَ أكمامَها

نصفيةٌ فرّكَ أكمامَها

وعمّةٌ صفّ حواشِيها

وعمّةٌ صفّ حواشِيها

a half-length robe, its sleeves rubbed smooth,

a short robe whose sleeves he has rubbed,

and a turban with borders neatly aligned.

and a turban whose edges he has arranged.

فقلتُ غرّتْكُمْ مخاريقُه

فقلتُ غرّتْكُمْ مخاريقُه

وغُيّبَتْ عنكُم مخازيها

وغُيّبَتْ عنكُم مخازيها

I said: His sleights have beguiled you,

So I said: His tricks have deceived you,

while their disgraces were hidden from you.

and their shameful deeds have been concealed from you.

واللهِ ما وسّعَ أكمامَهُ

واللهِ ما وسّعَ أكمامَهُ

عُجْباً بما نالَ ولا تِيها

عُجْباً بما نالَ ولا تِيها

By God, he did not widen his sleeves

By God, he did not widen his sleeves

from pride in what he gained, nor vainglory;

out of pride in what he attained, nor out of conceit;

وإنما وسّعها عِدّةٌ

وإنما وسّعها عِدّةٌ

يحمِلُ ما يسرِقْهُ فيها

يحمِلُ ما يسرِقْهُ فيها

he widened them only as a means

he only widened them in preparation:

to carry in them whatever he steals.

he carries whatever he steals inside them.