أَرى العَبّاسَ يَنقُصُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

أَرى العَبّاسَ يَنقُصُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ جَهلا يَزيدُ

وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ جَهلا يَزيدُ

I see al-Abbas diminish every day,

I see Al-Abbas declining a little every day,

And ignorantly he claims that he grows.

Yet he claims it's from ignorance he grows.

فَلَو نُقَضَت عَزائِمُهُ وَبادَت

فَلَو نُقَضَت عَزائِمُهُ وَبادَت

سَلامَتُهُ لَكانَ كَما يُريدُ

سَلامَتُهُ لَكانَ كَما يُريدُ

For if his resolves were undone and he lost

If his resolves were undone and his composure lost,

His well-being, he would be as he wishes.

He'd be just as he wishes, I suppose.

وَلَكِنَّ المَعايِبَ أَفسَدَتهُ

وَلَكِنَّ المَعايِبَ أَفسَدَتهُ

وَخلَّفَ في عَشيرَتِهِ زَهيدُ

وَخلَّفَ في عَشيرَتِهِ زَهيدُ

But his faults have ruined him,

But vice has corrupted him,

And he was left among his clan, held in little esteem.

And among his clan he's left a fraud.

فَعَبّاسُ بِنُ مِرداسِ بنِ عَمرٍو

فَعَبّاسُ بِنُ مِرداسِ بنِ عَمرٍو

وَكَذبُ المَرءِ أَقبَحُ ما يُفيدُ

وَكَذبُ المَرءِ أَقبَحُ ما يُفيدُ

So, Abbas son of Mirdas son of Amr—

Al-Abbas, son of Mirdas, son of Amr

And a man's lying is the foulest thing he gains—

A man's lies are the ugliest that he bears.

حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ مَكَّةَ وَالمُصَلّى

حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ مَكَّةَ وَالمُصَلّى

وَأَشياخٍ مُحَلَّقَةٍ تَهودُ

وَأَشياخٍ مُحَلَّقَةٍ تَهودُ

I swore by the Lord of Mecca and the place of prayer,

I swear by the Lord of Mecca and the Sacred Mosque,

And by shaven-headed elders walking slowly,

And by bearded elders donning their Jewish garb,

بِأَنَّكَ مِن مَوَدَّتِنا قَريبٌ

بِأَنَّكَ مِن مَوَدَّتِنا قَريبٌ

وَأَنتَ مِنَ الَّذي تَهوى بِعيدُ

وَأَنتَ مِنَ الَّذي تَهوى بِعيدُ

That you are close to our affection,

That you are a dear friend to us.

And you are far from what you desire.

Yet you are far from what you love.

فَأَبشِر إِن بَقيتَ بِيَومِ سوءٍ

فَأَبشِر إِن بَقيتَ بِيَومِ سوءٍ

يَشيبُ لَهُ مِنَ الخَوفِ الوَليدُ

يَشيبُ لَهُ مِنَ الخَوفِ الوَليدُ

So hear glad tidings, if you survive, of a day of misery,

So rejoice if you live to see an evil day

At which a newborn turns gray with fear.

That would turn a baby's hair white in fright,

كَيَومِكَ إِذ خَرَجتَ تَفوقُ رَكضاً

كَيَومِكَ إِذ خَرَجتَ تَفوقُ رَكضاً

وَطارَ القَلبُ وَاِنتَفَخَ الوَريدُ

وَطارَ القَلبُ وَاِنتَفَخَ الوَريدُ

Like your day when you went out, racing ahead,

Like the day when you fled outpacing the horses,

And your heart flew, and your jugular vein swelled.

With your heart aflutter and veins fit to burst.

فَدَع قَولَ السَفاهَةِ لا تَقُلهُ

فَدَع قَولَ السَفاهَةِ لا تَقُلهُ

فَقَد طالَ التَهَدُّدُ وَالوَعيدُ

فَقَد طالَ التَهَدُّدُ وَالوَعيدُ

So abandon foolish talk; do not utter it.

Leave off foolish talk, do not say it,

For threats and menaces have dragged on.

For threats and warnings have gone on too long.

رَأَينا مَن نُحارِبُهُ شَقِيّاً

رَأَينا مَن نُحارِبُهُ شَقِيّاً

وَمَن ذا يا بَني عَوفٍ سَعيدُ

وَمَن ذا يا بَني عَوفٍ سَعيدُ

We have seen those we fight in misery;

We've seen those we fight against meet misfortune,

And who, O sons of Awf, is fortunate?

And who, O Bani Auf, meets fortune?