تَعالى اللَهُ ما تَلقى المَطايا

تَعالى اللَهُ ما تَلقى المَطايا

مِنَ الإِنسانِ وَالدُنيا تَصيدُ

مِنَ الإِنسانِ وَالدُنيا تَصيدُ

Exalted is God! What the riding camels suffer

O Lord, what trials man and life bring!

at human hands, while the world hunts them down!

When safe, it's a help in adversity.

إِذا سَلِمَت فَنَصٌّ في المَوامي

إِذا سَلِمَت فَنَصٌّ في المَوامي

فَواصَدَ ما بِهِ فَنِيَ القَصيدُ

فَواصَدَ ما بِهِ فَنِيَ القَصيدُ

If they are spared, then hard driving through the wastes—

So it accomplished what it was meant for, and the poem came to an end.

bloodletters—is what has killed the well-fed camels.

In the years, nothing ceases -

وَما يَنفَكُّ في السَنَواتِ مِنها

وَما يَنفَكُّ في السَنَواتِ مِنها

حَليبٌ أَو نَحيرٌ أَو فَصيدُ

حَليبٌ أَو نَحيرٌ أَو فَصيدُ

And through the years there is always among them

Milk or sacrifice or hunt.

one milked, or slaughtered, or bled.

Is good rewarded with hunts from horses

أَتُجزى الخَيرَ صَيدٌ مِن رِكابٍ

أَتُجزى الخَيرَ صَيدٌ مِن رِكابٍ

كَما تُجزى مِنَ الأَملاكِ صيدُ

كَما تُجزى مِنَ الأَملاكِ صيدُ

Will prey among the riding camels be rewarded with good,

As angels are rewarded with hunt?

as the proud among kings are rewarded?

Or does cancellation encompass it to become

أَم الإِلغاءُ يَشمَلُها فَتُضحي

أَم الإِلغاءُ يَشمَلُها فَتُضحي

كَأَنَّ سَوامَها زَرعٌ حَصيدُ

كَأَنَّ سَوامَها زَرعٌ حَصيدُ

Or does disregard encompass them, leaving them

As if its herds are harvested crops?

as though their grazing herds were a crop cut down?

How so when its Lord judges with justice

وَكَيفَ وَرَبُّها في الحُكمِ عَدلٌ

وَكَيفَ وَرَبُّها في الحُكمِ عَدلٌ

وَدُنياها لِخالِقِها وَصيدُ

وَدُنياها لِخالِقِها وَصيدُ

Yet how, when their Lord is just in judgment,

And its life belongs to its Creator and is His hunt?

and their world is their Creator's courtyard?