أَلا طَرَقَتنا بِالمُوَقَّرِ شَعفَرُ

أَلا طَرَقَتنا بِالمُوَقَّرِ شَعفَرُ

وَمِن دونِ مَسراها قُديدٌ وَعَزوَرُ

وَمِن دونِ مَسراها قُديدٌ وَعَزوَرُ

Lo—Sha‘far visited us by night at al-Muwaqqar,

Lo, Sha‘far visited us by night at al-Muwaqqar.

with Qudayd and ‘Azwar lying across the path of her night journey,

And between us and her nightly path lie Qudayd and ‘Azwar.

بِوادٍ يَمانٍ نازِحٍ جُلُّ نَبتِهِ

بِوادٍ يَمانٍ نازِحٍ جُلُّ نَبتِهِ

غَضىً وَأَراكٌ يَنضَحُ الماءَ أَخضَرُ

غَضىً وَأَراكٌ يَنضَحُ الماءَ أَخضَرُ

from a far-off Yemeni valley, most of whose growth

In a far-off Yemeni valley, most of whose vegetation

is ghadā and arāk, green, with water welling from it.

Is ghada and green arak, oozing water.