دَعانا أبو عَمرٍو عُمَيْرُ بنُ جَعْفَرٍ

دَعانا أبو عَمرٍو عُمَيْرُ بنُ جَعْفَرٍ

على لَحْمِ دِيكٍ دَعْوةً بعدَ مَوْعِدِ

على لَحْمِ دِيكٍ دَعْوةً بعدَ مَوْعِدِ

Abu Amr, Umayr ibn Ja'far, invited us

Abu Amr Umayr ibn Ja'far invited us

To dine on rooster meat—an invitation after a time had been set.

To a feast of cock after the appointed time

فَقَدَّمَ ديكاً عُدْمُلِيّاً مُلَدَّحاً

فَقَدَّمَ ديكاً عُدْمُلِيّاً مُلَدَّحاً

مُبَرْنَسَ أَثيابٍ مُؤَذِّنَ مَسْجِدِ

مُبَرْنَسَ أَثيابٍ مُؤَذِّنَ مَسْجِدِ

Then he served an old, tough, hulking rooster,

He brought forward a fattened, stuffed cock

Clad in hooded garments, a mosque's muezzin,

Dressed in the clothes of a mosque's muezzin

يُحدِّثُنا عنْ قَوْمِ هُودٍ وصالحٍ

يُحدِّثُنا عنْ قَوْمِ هُودٍ وصالحٍ

وأغربِ مَنْ لاقاهُ عَمْرُو بنُ مرثدِ

وأغربِ مَنْ لاقاهُ عَمْرُو بنُ مرثدِ

Who tells us of the people of Hud and Salih,

Telling us tales of the people of Hud and Salih

And the strangest of those whom Amr ibn Marthad had met.

And the strangest he met, Amr ibn Murthid

وقال لقد سَبّحْتُ دهراً مُهَلِّلاً

وقال لقد سَبّحْتُ دهراً مُهَلِّلاً

وأَسْهَرْتُ بالتّأْذينِ أَعْيُنَ هُجّدِ

وأَسْهَرْتُ بالتّأْذينِ أَعْيُنَ هُجّدِ

And he said, "For ages I have glorified God, proclaiming His oneness,

And he said, "For long have I glorified dawn

And by calling to prayer I have kept sleepers' eyes awake.

Staying up through the night, vigilant like a sentry"

أَيُذْبَحُ بين المسلمينَ مُؤَذِّنٌ

أَيُذْبَحُ بين المسلمينَ مُؤَذِّنٌ

مُقيمٌ على دِينِ النّبِيِّ مُحَمّدِ

مُقيمٌ على دِينِ النّبِيِّ مُحَمّدِ

Is a muezzin to be slaughtered among Muslims,

"Shall a muezzin be slaughtered amongst Muslims

One steadfast in the faith of the Prophet Muhammad?"

Faithful to the religion of the Prophet Muhammad?"

فقلتُ لَهُ يا ديكُ إِنّكَ صادقٌ

فقلتُ لَهُ يا ديكُ إِنّكَ صادقٌ

وإِنّكَ فيما قُلْتَ غَيْرُ مُفَنّدِ

وإِنّكَ فيما قُلْتَ غَيْرُ مُفَنّدِ

Then I said to him, "O rooster, you are indeed truthful,

So I said to him, "O cock, you speak truly,

And you cannot be faulted in what you have said.

In what you have said, none can find fault."

ولا ذَنْبَ للأَضْيافِ إِنْ نالَكَ الرَّدَى

ولا ذَنْبَ للأَضْيافِ إِنْ نالَكَ الرَّدَى

فإنَّ المنايا للدُّيُوكِ بِمَرْصَدِ

فإنَّ المنايا للدُّيُوكِ بِمَرْصَدِ

And no blame rests on the guests if death overtakes you,

"It is no sin of the guests should doom befall you.

For death lies in wait for roosters."

For death lies in wait to ambush all cocks."