أَخَذَت جَعفَرٌ بِرَأسِ القِطارِ

أَخَذَت جَعفَرٌ بِرَأسِ القِطارِ

ثُمَّ نادَت أَنِ اِبدَأوا بِبَوارِ

ثُمَّ نادَت أَنِ اِبدَأوا بِبَوارِ

Jaʿfar seized the head of the caravan,

Ja'far took the lead of the train

then called out, “Begin with destruction!”

Then called to start the engine

فأَجابَت أُمُّ الأَميرِ وَقالَت

فأَجابَت أُمُّ الأَميرِ وَقالَت

قَد أَتَيناكَ أَوَّلَ الزُوّارِ

قَد أَتَيناكَ أَوَّلَ الزُوّارِ

The emir’s mother answered and said,

The prince's mother responded and said

“We have come to you as the first visitors.”

We have come to you, the first of visitors

وَسَيَأتيكَ صاعِدٌ عَن قَليلٍ

وَسَيَأتيكَ صاعِدٌ عَن قَليلٍ

كُتبُهُ بِالهَلاكِ في أُسكُدارِ

كُتبُهُ بِالهَلاكِ في أُسكُدارِ

And Ṣāʿid will come to you before long,

And soon will come to you ascending a little

his letters telling of destruction in Uskudār.

Whose books of death are in Oskudar

يا أَبا الجَعرِ طُوِّقَ الناسُ شُكراً

يا أَبا الجَعرِ طُوِّقَ الناسُ شُكراً

وَاِستَحَقَّ الدُعاءَ بِالأَسحارِ

وَاِستَحَقَّ الدُعاءَ بِالأَسحارِ

O Father of Dung, the people were bound to gratitude,

O Abu Ja'ar, may people thank you

and he earned prayers in the hours before dawn.

And deserve to be prayed for at dawn

بِأَبي سَيفُكَ الَّذي يكشُفُ الشَك

بِأَبي سَيفُكَ الَّذي يكشُفُ الشَك

كَ وَيَجلو العَشا عَنِ الأَبصارِ

كَ وَيَجلو العَشا عَنِ الأَبصارِ

May my father ransom your sword, which dispels doubt

By my father, your sword that reveals doubt

and clears dimness from the eyes.

And clears visions from sights

أَرِنيهِ يَفري السَواعِدَ وَالها

أَرِنيهِ يَفري السَواعِدَ وَالها

مَ وَيُسقى مِنَ الدِماءِ الجَواري

مَ وَيُسقى مِنَ الدِماءِ الجَواري

Show it to me cleaving forearms and heads,

Show it to me, it makes arms and protection bleed

and being given flowing blood to drink.

And they are watered with blood of maidens

اِسقِني بَعضَها لَعَلِّيَ أَشفى

اِسقِني بَعضَها لَعَلِّيَ أَشفى

بِدَمِ الحارِثِيِّ بَعضَ الأُوارِ

بِدَمِ الحارِثِيِّ بَعضَ الأُوارِ

Give me some of it to drink; perhaps I may quench

Quench me with some of it, maybe I recover

some of this burning thirst with al-Hārithī’s blood.

With blood of Harithi some fatigue

لا تَهولَنَّكَ السَوابِغُ وَالبي

لا تَهولَنَّكَ السَوابِغُ وَالبي

ضُ فَمِن تَحتِها قُلوبُ العَذاري

ضُ فَمِن تَحتِها قُلوبُ العَذاري

Let not full coats of mail and helmets frighten you,

Do not let the elegant and white scare you

for beneath them are the hearts of maidens.

Underneath them are hearts of virgins

وَإِذا ما لَقوكَ بِالخَيلِ فَاِعلَم

وَإِذا ما لَقوكَ بِالخَيلِ فَاِعلَم

أَنَّها عُدَّةٌ لِيَومِ الفِرارِ

أَنَّها عُدَّةٌ لِيَومِ الفِرارِ

And whenever they meet you with cavalry, know

And if they meet you with horses, then know

that the horses are provision for the day of flight.

They are equipment for the day of escape

أَنا عَبدُ اللَهِ الصَفّارُ إِن فَر

أَنا عَبدُ اللَهِ الصَفّارُ إِن فَر

رَجَ اللَهُ هُمومَ القُلوبِ بِالصَفّارِ

رَجَ اللَهُ هُمومَ القُلوبِ بِالصَفّارِ

I am ʿAbd Allāh al-Ṣaffār, if

I am Abdullah, the whistler, if God relieves

God relieves the hearts’ cares through al-Ṣaffār.

The worries of hearts with the whistler