أَلا إِنَّ زَيدَ اللاتِ يَومَ لَقيتُها

أَلا إِنَّ زَيدَ اللاتِ يَومَ لَقيتُها

عِلاقَةُ سَوءٍ في إِناءٍ مُثَلَّمِ

عِلاقَةُ سَوءٍ في إِناءٍ مُثَلَّمِ

Know that Zayd al-Lat, the day I met her,

Lo! Zayd of the tribe of Lat, when I met him

Was a wretched remnant in a chipped vessel.

Was a man of ill repute in a cracked vessel.

قُبَيِّلَةٌ ما يَغدِرونَ بِذِمَّةٍ

قُبَيِّلَةٌ ما يَغدِرونَ بِذِمَّةٍ

وَلا يَظلِمونَ الناسَ مِثقالَ دِرهَمِ

وَلا يَظلِمونَ الناسَ مِثقالَ دِرهَمِ

A petty little tribe: they do not betray a pledge,

A tribe who would not betray a covenant

Nor wrong people by a dirham’s weight.

Nor wrong people even the weight of a dirham.

وَلا يَرِدونَ الماءَ إِلّا عَشِيَّةً

وَلا يَرِدونَ الماءَ إِلّا عَشِيَّةً

عَلى طولِ أَظماءٍ وَوَجهٍ مُلَطَّمِ

عَلى طولِ أَظماءٍ وَوَجهٍ مُلَطَّمِ

Nor do they come to the water except in the evening,

Who would not refuse water, save at nightfall

Despite long intervals without water, and with a battered face.

To mouths gaping with thirst on dust-covered faces.

هُوَ العَبدُ يُجبى كُلَّ يَومٍ ضَريبَةً

هُوَ العَبدُ يُجبى كُلَّ يَومٍ ضَريبَةً

مَتى تُلزِمِ العَبدَ المَذَلَّةَ يَلزَمِ

مَتى تُلزِمِ العَبدَ المَذَلَّةَ يَلزَمِ

He is the slave, made to pay a levy every day;

The slave from whom a tax is extracted each day –

Whenever you impose humiliation on the slave, he accepts it.

When you afflict a slave with humiliation, he complies.