لاتُجزَيَنَّ أَبا عُبَيدَةَ صالِحاً

لاتُجزَيَنَّ أَبا عُبَيدَةَ صالِحاً

عَن طولِ وَقفَتِنا بِقِنَّسرينا

عَن طولِ وَقفَتِنا بِقِنَّسرينا

May you receive no good reward, Abu Ubayda,

Do not repay Abu Ubaydah good

For our long halt at Qinnasrin.

For our long stop at Qinnasrin.

جُزنا وَماكانَ الجَوازُ هَوىً لَنا

جُزنا وَماكانَ الجَوازُ هَوىً لَنا

تَعِبينَ مِن نَصَبِ السُرى لَغِبينا

تَعِبينَ مِن نَصَبِ السُرى لَغِبينا

We passed through, though passing through was no wish of ours,

Repay us, though desire was no motive for us -

Weary from the toil of night travel, utterly exhausted.

We grew weary from riding to an unfamiliar place.

حَسِرَت مِنَ السَفَرِ البَعيدِ رِكابُنا

حَسِرَت مِنَ السَفَرِ البَعيدِ رِكابُنا

فَشَبِعنَ مِن أَلَمِ الوَجى وَرَوينا

فَشَبِعنَ مِن أَلَمِ الوَجى وَرَوينا

Our riding camels were worn out by the long journey,

Our mounts grew tired from the long journey

So they were sated with the pain of sore feet, and we drank our fill.

And we had our fill of the pain of separation.

وَسَرَت كِلابُكَ بِالنُباحِ كَأَنَّما

وَسَرَت كِلابُكَ بِالنُباحِ كَأَنَّما

يَطلُبنَ ثَأراً قَد تَقَدَّمَ فينا

يَطلُبنَ ثَأراً قَد تَقَدَّمَ فينا

And your dogs roamed by night, barking as though

Your dogs barked as though

They sought vengeance for an old blood-debt of ours,

Seeking vengeance that had preceded us.

مُتَعَبِّثاتٍ بِالنُباحِ وَراءَنا

مُتَعَبِّثاتٍ بِالنُباحِ وَراءَنا

حَتّى طَرَحنا زادَنا فَرَضينا

حَتّى طَرَحنا زادَنا فَرَضينا

Harassing us with their barking from behind,

Yelping after us

Until we threw down our provisions, and they were satisfied.

Until we shed our supplies and were content.

بِتنا بِباشِيّا مِنَ اجلِكَ لَيلَةً

بِتنا بِباشِيّا مِنَ اجلِكَ لَيلَةً

بَلِيَ المَطِيُّ بِبُؤسِها وَبَلينا

بَلِيَ المَطِيُّ بِبُؤسِها وَبَلينا

We spent a night at Bashiya on your account,

We spent a wretched night in Bashir

The camels were worn down by its misery, and so were we.

When our mounts suffered hardship and so did we.

أَطعَمتَنا الزَقومَ حينَ أَبَتَّنا

أَطعَمتَنا الزَقومَ حينَ أَبَتَّنا

في خانِها وَسَقَيتَنا الغِسلينا

في خانِها وَسَقَيتَنا الغِسلينا

You fed us zaqqum, hell's fruit, when you lodged us

You fed us bitter herbs when we refused

In its inn, and gave us ghislin, hell's foul washings, to drink.

To stay in its lodging and gave us salty water to drink.

لَولاكَ كانَ عَلى الكُفَيرِ مَمَرُّنا

لَولاكَ كانَ عَلى الكُفَيرِ مَمَرُّنا

وَاليَثرِبِيَّةِ أَو عَلى تَرحينا

وَاليَثرِبِيَّةِ أَو عَلى تَرحينا

But for you, our route would have passed through al-Kufayr,

Were it not for you, our route would have been

And al-Yathribiyya, or through Tarhin.

Through Kufeer or Yathrib or through Tarheen.

لا أَعلَمَنَّكَ تَستَزيرُ عِصابَةً

لا أَعلَمَنَّكَ تَستَزيرُ عِصابَةً

مِن بَعدِنا شامينَ أَو جَزرينا

مِن بَعدِنا شامينَ أَو جَزرينا

Let me never find you inviting a group

I do not know if you will seek the protection

After us, whether from al-Sham or al-Jazira.

Of a band from Syria or Jazireen after us.

قَد كُنتَ تَهوى أَن نَزورَكَ حِقبَةً

قَد كُنتَ تَهوى أَن نَزورَكَ حِقبَةً

كَلَفاً بِنا فَذَهَبتَ لَمّا جينا

كَلَفاً بِنا فَذَهَبتَ لَمّا جينا

For a long while you had wished us to visit you,

You used to long that we visit you for a period

So fond of us—yet you went away when we came.

As a burden to us, but when we came, you went away.

لَولا نَصيبي مِن إِخائِكَ رِنَّهُ

لَولا نَصيبي مِن إِخائِكَ رِنَّهُ

عَلقٌ غَدَوتُ بِهِ الغَداةَ ضَنينا

عَلقٌ غَدَوتُ بِهِ الغَداةَ ضَنينا

Were it not for my share of your friendship—[for it is]

Were it not for my share in your brotherhood that

A treasure I have grown loath to part with this morning—

Clung to me in the morning, I would have left in sorrow.

لَتَمَكَّنَت مِنّا وَمِنكَ قَطيعَةٌ

لَتَمَكَّنَت مِنّا وَمِنكَ قَطيعَةٌ

نَغذو بَنيكَ بِدَرِّها وَبَنينا

نَغذو بَنيكَ بِدَرِّها وَبَنينا

Estrangement would have taken firm hold of us and you;

Estrangement between us and you would have taken hold

We would nourish your sons and ours on its milk.

So we raise your sons with its riches and our sons.