أَنعَتُ ديكاً مِن دُيوكِ الهِندِ

أَنعَتُ ديكاً مِن دُيوكِ الهِندِ

أَحسَنَ مِن طاوُوسِ قَصرِ المَهدي

أَحسَنَ مِن طاوُوسِ قَصرِ المَهدي

I describe a rooster from the roosters of India,

I lament a rooster from the roosters of India

I sing the attributes of an Indian rooster,

More beautiful than the peacock of al-Mahdi's palace,

More beautiful than the peacock of Mahdi's palace

More splendid than the peacock in Al-Mahdi's palace,

أَشجَعَ مِن عادي عَرينَ الأُسدِ

أَشجَعَ مِن عادي عَرينَ الأُسدِ

تَرى الدَجاجَ حَولَهُ كَالجُندِ

تَرى الدَجاجَ حَولَهُ كَالجُندِ

Braver than the marauder of the lions' den.

Bolder than the lion in his den

Braver than a warrior storming the lions' den,

You see the hens around him like troops;

You see the chickens around him like soldiers

You see the hens surrounding him like troops,

يُقعينَ مِنهُ خيفَةً لِلسَفدِ

يُقعينَ مِنهُ خيفَةً لِلسَفدِ

لَهُ سِقاعٌ كَدَوِيِّ الرَعدِ

لَهُ سِقاعٌ كَدَوِيِّ الرَعدِ

They crouch in fear of him, to be mounted.

Cowering from him in fear of the hawk

Crouching before him, fearful of his tread,

His crow is like the rumbling of thunder.

He has a crow like rumbling thunder

Possessing a call that booms like rolling thunder,

مِنقارُهُ كَالمِعوَلِ المُحَدِّ

مِنقارُهُ كَالمِعوَلِ المُحَدِّ

يَقهَرُ ما ناقَرَهُ بِالنَقدِ

يَقهَرُ ما ناقَرَهُ بِالنَقدِ

His beak is like a sharpened pickaxe;

His beak like a sharpened chisel

His beak is fashioned like a sharpened pickaxe,

By pecking, he overpowers whatever pecks at him.

He defeats whatever he pecks with his beak

Vanquishing whatever he strikes with piercing pecks,

عَيناهُ مِنهُ في القَفا وَالخَدِّ

عَيناهُ مِنهُ في القَفا وَالخَدِّ

ذو هامَةٍ وَعُنُقٍ كَالوَردِ

ذو هامَةٍ وَعُنُقٍ كَالوَردِ

His two eyes are set at his nape and cheek.

His eyes in his head and cheeks

His eyes seem set within his nape and cheek alike,

He has a head and neck like roses,

With a comb and neck like a rose

Crowned with a crest and neck as red as roses,

وَجِلدَةٍ تُشبِهُ وَشيَ البُردِ

وَجِلدَةٍ تُشبِهُ وَشيَ البُردِ

ظاهِرُها زِفٌّ شَديدُ الوَقدِ

ظاهِرُها زِفٌّ شَديدُ الوَقدِ

And skin resembling a cloak's patterned weave.

And skin resembling snowy fur

And plumage patterned like an embroidered cloak,

Its surface is fine plumage, fiercely glowing,

Its surface intense glowing heat

Covered in down that blazes with intense fire,

كَأَنَّهُ الهُدّابُ في الفِرِندِ

كَأَنَّهُ الهُدّابُ في الفِرِندِ

مُضَمَّرُ الخَلقِ عَميمُ القَدِّ

مُضَمَّرُ الخَلقِ عَميمُ القَدِّ

As though it were the fringe on silk cloth.

As if he were the billy goat among goats

Resembling silk tassels upon a sword of steel,

Lean in build, tall in stature,

Perfectly formed, noble lineage

Lean in his build, yet towering in his stature,

لَهُ اِعتِدالٌ وَاِنتِصابُ قَدٍّ

لَهُ اِعتِدالٌ وَاِنتِصابُ قَدٍّ

مَحودَبِ الظَهرِ كَريمُ الجَدِّ

مَحودَبِ الظَهرِ كَريمُ الجَدِّ

He has balanced proportions and an upright stance,

Proportionately upright with erect posture

He holds himself with poise and upright pride,

An arched back and noble ancestry,

Arched back, generous lineage

Arched of back, of noble and ancient lineage,

مُفَحَّجُ الرِجلَينِ عِندَ النَجدِ

مُفَحَّجُ الرِجلَينِ عِندَ النَجدِ

ثَمَّ وَظيفانِ لَهُ مِن بَعدِ

ثَمَّ وَظيفانِ لَهُ مِن بَعدِ

With both legs splayed on high ground.

Strong legs for leaping

With legs set wide apart upon the rising ground,

There, farther down, are his two shanks,

Then two spurs after

And there, extending down, two sturdy shanks,

وَشَوكَتانِ خُصَّتا بِالحَدِّ

وَشَوكَتانِ خُصَّتا بِالحَدِّ

كَأَنَّما كَفّاهُ عِندَ الوَخدِ

كَأَنَّما كَفّاهُ عِندَ الوَخدِ

And two spurs endowed with sharpness.

Sharp points endowed to him

Armed with two spurs distinguished by their edge,

As though his two feet, when he strides swiftly,

As if two weapons at his side for protection

As if his feet, when moving in a stride,

في خَطوِهِ كَالمِسَكِ المُرتَدِّ

في خَطوِهِ كَالمِسَكِ المُرتَدِّ

فَالقِرنُ دَوماً عِندَهُ يُعَدّي

فَالقِرنُ دَوماً عِندَهُ يُعَدّي

Were like rebounding bracelets in his step.

His gait like fading musk

Were like a grasping hand that snatches back,

So the rival always flees before him.

So the horn constantly mediates disputes

For any rival facing him is surely doomed,

كَم طائِرٍ أَردى وَكَم سَيُردي

كَم طائِرٍ أَردى وَكَم سَيُردي

بِالجَمزِ وَالقَفزِ وَصَفقِ الجِلدِ

بِالجَمزِ وَالقَفزِ وَصَفقِ الجِلدِ

How many birds he has slain, and how many he will slay,

How many birds will he fell and how many more will he fell

How many birds he slew, and how many yet shall fall,

By bounding, leaping, and striking the skin,

With stomping, jumping and slapping his skin

Through bounding leaps and the beating of his wings,

كَدّا لَهُ بِالخَطرِ أَيُّ كَدِّ

كَدّا لَهُ بِالخَطرِ أَيُّ كَدِّ

كَما يُسَدّي الحائِكُ المُسَدِّ

كَما يُسَدّي الحائِكُ المُسَدِّ

Exhausting him with darting movements—what exhaustion!

Testing him with danger whichever way

Striving in battle with a relentless force,

As the warp-setting weaver lays his warp.

As the weaver throws the shuttle

Weaving his strikes as a weaver threads the loom,

إِن وَقَفَ الديكُ ثَنى بِالشَدِّ

إِن وَقَفَ الديكُ ثَنى بِالشَدِّ

وَالوَثبُ مِنهُ مِثلَ وَثبَ الفَهدِ

وَالوَثبُ مِنهُ مِثلَ وَثبَ الفَهدِ

If the rooster halts, he charges again;

If the rooster stops he flexes intensely

If the rooster pauses, he attacks again with power,

And his leap is like a cheetah's leap.

And leaps like a jumping leopard

And his pounce is swift as the leopard's spring,

لَيسَ لَهُ مِن غَلَبٍ مِن بُدٍّ

لَيسَ لَهُ مِن غَلَبٍ مِن بُدٍّ

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ وَلِيُّ الحَمدِ

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ وَلِيُّ الحَمدِ

He has no choice but victory.

He has no match, no equal

For him, there is no option but to conquer,

So praise be to God, to whom praise belongs.

So praise be to God, Master of Praise

So praise be to God, the Guardian of all praise.