تَقُولُ قُريشٌ حِينَ خَفّتْ حُلُومُهَا

تَقُولُ قُريشٌ حِينَ خَفّتْ حُلُومُهَا

نَظُنُّ ابنَ هِنْدٍ هَائِباً لابنِ جَعْفَرِ

نَظُنُّ ابنَ هِنْدٍ هَائِباً لابنِ جَعْفَرِ

Quraysh says, when its good sense has grown weak:

Quraysh say when their power waned,

We think Hind's son fears Ja'far's son.

"We think Ibn Hind's son seeks Ibn Ja'far."

فمِنْ ثَمّ يَقْضِي أَلْفِ أَلْفٍ دُيُونَهُ

فمِنْ ثَمّ يَقْضِي أَلْفِ أَلْفٍ دُيُونَهُ

وحَاجَتُهُ مَقْضِيّةٌ لم تُؤَخَّرِ

وحَاجَتُهُ مَقْضِيّةٌ لم تُؤَخَّرِ

And so he pays off his debts with a thousand thousand,

So he pays off thousands upon thousands of debts

And his need is met without delay.

And his needs are met, none delayed.

فَقُلْتُ دَعُوا لي لا أَبا لأَبِيكُمُ

فَقُلْتُ دَعُوا لي لا أَبا لأَبِيكُمُ

فما مِنْكُمُ قَيْضٌ لَهُ غيرُ أَعْوَرِ

فما مِنْكُمُ قَيْضٌ لَهُ غيرُ أَعْوَرِ

So I said: Leave it to me—may your father be fatherless!

So I said, "Spare me! Not father of your father!

For there is no peer of his among you but a one-eyed man.

None of you can repay him but the one-eyed."

أَلَيْسَ فَتَى البَطْحَاءِ مَا تُنْكِرونَهُ

أَلَيْسَ فَتَى البَطْحَاءِ مَا تُنْكِرونَهُ

وأَوّلَ مَنْ أُثْنِي بِتَفُواهُ خِنْصَرِي

وأَوّلَ مَنْ أُثْنِي بِتَفُواهُ خِنْصَرِي

Is he not al-Batha's young man, whom you do not disown,

Is he not the young man of Bat'ha you deny?

And the first for whose [unclear word] I bend my little finger?

The first whose cheeks my sword's edge caressed?

وكان أبو جَعْفَر قد سادَ قَوْمَهُ

وكان أبو جَعْفَر قد سادَ قَوْمَهُ

ولم يَكُ في الحَرْبِ العَوانِ بِحَيْدَرِ

ولم يَكُ في الحَرْبِ العَوانِ بِحَيْدَرِ

And Abu Ja'far had already become his people's chief,

Abu Ja'far had led his people,

And he was no lion in renewed war.

None aided him in war but Haydar.

فَما أَلْفُ ألفٍ فاسْكُتُوا لابنِ جَعْفَرٍ

فَما أَلْفُ ألفٍ فاسْكُتُوا لابنِ جَعْفَرٍ

كثيرٌ ولا أَمْثَالُها لي بمُنْكَرِ

كثيرٌ ولا أَمْثَالُها لي بمُنْكَرِ

So a thousand thousand for Ja'far's son—be silent!—is not

Thousands upon thousands - hush! - for Ibn Ja'far,

Much, nor are amounts like it objectionable to me.

Many they are! Their like to me's no shame.

ولا تَحْسُدُوهُ وافْعَلُوا كَفِعَالِهِ

ولا تَحْسُدُوهُ وافْعَلُوا كَفِعَالِهِ

ولن تُدْرِكُوهُ كُلّ مَمْشَى وَمَحْضَرِ

ولن تُدْرِكُوهُ كُلّ مَمْشَى وَمَحْضَرِ

And do not envy him; act as he acts,

Envy him not, act as he acted,

And you will never overtake him on any path or in any gathering.

You'll never catch him, wherever he appeared.