أَبا عَبدِ الاِلَهِ أَصِخ لِقَولي

أَبا عَبدِ الاِلَهِ أَصِخ لِقَولي

وَبَعضُ القَولِ يَصحَبُهُ السَدادُ

وَبَعضُ القَولِ يَصحَبُهُ السَدادُ

O Abu Abd al-Ilah, listen to my words;

O Father of God, listen to my words

and some speech is accompanied by sound judgment.

Some words come with righteousness

تَرى طَمساً تَعودُ بِها اللَيالي

تَرى طَمساً تَعودُ بِها اللَيالي

إِلى الدُنيا كَما رَجَعَت إِيادُ

إِلى الدُنيا كَما رَجَعَت إِيادُ

You see Tams, brought back by the nights

You see a darkness that nights return to

to the world, just as Iyad returned.

To the world as the Ayyad tribe returned

قَبائِلَ جُذَّ أَصلُهُمُ فَبادوا

قَبائِلَ جُذَّ أَصلُهُمُ فَبادوا

وَأَودى ذِكرُهُم زَمَناً فَعادوا

وَأَودى ذِكرُهُم زَمَناً فَعادوا

Tribes whose roots were severed, so they perished;

Tribes whose roots perished so they perished

and their memory died away for a time, then they returned.

And their mention in time returned so they returned

وَكانوا غَرَّزوا في الرَملِ بَيضاً

وَكانوا غَرَّزوا في الرَملِ بَيضاً

فَأَمسَكَهُ كَما غَرَزَ الجَرادُ

فَأَمسَكَهُ كَما غَرَزَ الجَرادُ

And they had buried eggs in the sand,

They were planted in the sand like eggs

which held them, as locusts bury theirs.

It held them as locusts are planted

فَلَمّا أَن سُقوا دَرَجوا وَدَبّوا

فَلَمّا أَن سُقوا دَرَجوا وَدَبّوا

وَزادوا حينَ جادَهُمُ العِهادُ

وَزادوا حينَ جادَهُمُ العِهادُ

Then, when they were watered, they crept and crawled,

So when they were watered they moved and crept

and multiplied when the recurring rains drenched them.

And increased when the good times helped them

هُمُ بَيضُ الرَمادِ يُشَقُّ عَنهُم

هُمُ بَيضُ الرَمادِ يُشَقُّ عَنهُم

وَبَعضُ البَيضِ يُشبِهُهُ الرَمادُ

وَبَعضُ البَيضِ يُشبِهُهُ الرَمادُ

They are eggs of ash, which is split open to reveal them;

They are the eggs of ashes opened from them

and ash resembles some eggs.

And some eggs resemble ashes

غَداً تَأتيكَ إِخوَتُهُم جَديسٌ

غَداً تَأتيكَ إِخوَتُهُم جَديسٌ

وَجُرهُمُ قُصَّراً وَتَعودُ عادُ

وَجُرهُمُ قُصَّراً وَتَعودُ عادُ

Tomorrow their brothers, Jadis, will come to you,

Tomorrow their bothers will come to you filthy

and Jurhum, short of stature; and Ad will return.

And their pulling short and the Ayyad return

فَتَعجِزُ عَنهُمُ الأَمصارُ ضَيِّقاً

فَتَعجِزُ عَنهُمُ الأَمصارُ ضَيِّقاً

وَتَمتَلِىءُ المَنازِلُ وَالبِلادُ

وَتَمتَلِىءُ المَنازِلُ وَالبِلادُ

Then the cities will be too cramped to contain them,

So the cities will be too narrow for them

and the dwellings and lands will fill up.

And the houses and lands fill up

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم بادوا فَعادوا

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم بادوا فَعادوا

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم قَلّوا فَزادوا

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم قَلّوا فَزادوا

For I have never seen their like: they perished, then returned;

I have not seen the like of them perish and return

nor have I seen their like: they dwindled, then multiplied.

Nor the like of them few then increase

تَوَغَّلَ فيهِمُ سَفِلٌ وَخوزٌ

تَوَغَّلَ فيهِمُ سَفِلٌ وَخوزٌ

وَأَوباشٌ فَهُم لَهُمُ مِدادُ

وَأَوباشٌ فَهُم لَهُمُ مِدادُ

Lowborn people and the Khuz have infiltrated them,

Among them the lowly and devious crept

and rabble; they are reinforcements for them.

And rabble so they are their supplies

وَأَنباطُ السَوادِ قَدِ اِستَحالوا

وَأَنباطُ السَوادِ قَدِ اِستَحالوا

بِها عَرَباً فَقَد خَرِبَ السَوادُ

بِها عَرَباً فَقَد خَرِبَ السَوادُ

And the Nabataeans of al-Sawad have turned

The black tents' Anbat have changed

into Arabs there; thus al-Sawad lies ruined.

Among them to Arabs so the black tent perished

فَلَو شاءَ الاِمامُ أَقامَ سوقاً

فَلَو شاءَ الاِمامُ أَقامَ سوقاً

فَباعَهُمُ كَما بيعَ السَمادُ

فَباعَهُمُ كَما بيعَ السَمادُ

So if the Imam wished, he would set up a market,

If the Imam willed he'd make a market

and sell them as manure is sold.

And sell them like fertilizer is sold