ما بالُ عَينٍ شَوقُها استَبكاها

ما بالُ عَينٍ شَوقُها استَبكاها

في رَمسِ دارٍ لَبِسَت بِلاها

في رَمسِ دارٍ لَبِسَت بِلاها

What ails an eye whose longing has made it weep,

What ails an eye whose passion makes it weep

At the buried remains of a dwelling clad in its decay?

For a home whose glories time has buried deep,

طامِسَةِ الأعلامِ قَد مَحاها

طامِسَةِ الأعلامِ قَد مَحاها

تَقادُم مِن عَهدِها أَبلاها

تَقادُم مِن عَهدِها أَبلاها

Its landmarks effaced, it has been wiped away

Where windswept sands have blotted every mark

By the long passage of time since its day, which wore it out,

That linked those desolate ruins to its past,

وَعاصِف يَتبَعُها ذَيلاها

وَعاصِف يَتبَعُها ذَيلاها

تَستَنُّ بِالجَولانِ مِن حَصاها

تَستَنُّ بِالجَولانِ مِن حَصاها

And a stormwind, its two skirts trailing behind it,

And gales still follow, wildly in their sweep,

Racing in whirls among the dwelling’s pebbles,

Chasing each trace that lingers to the last?

وَكُلُّ رَجَافٍ إِذا سَقاها

وَكُلُّ رَجَافٍ إِذا سَقاها

بِدِيَمٍ مَع رَهِمٍ وَلاها

بِدِيَمٍ مَع رَهِمٍ وَلاها

And every thundering cloud, when it watered it

There the oryx walks never knowing fear,

With steady rains and gentle showers following them.

Roaming free in wastelands bleak and bare

وَالقانِصُ العِجلىُّ قَد رَآها

وَالقانِصُ العِجلىُّ قَد رَآها

وَسَدَّدَ النَّبلَ الَّتِي سَواها

وَسَدَّدَ النَّبلَ الَّتِي سَواها

And the ʿIjli hunter had seen her,

While nimble hunters watch with bows bent back

And aimed the arrows he had fashioned.

And arrows fixed to strike the prey they track.

يَسَّرَ سَهماً كانَ في أُولاها

يَسَّرَ سَهماً كانَ في أُولاها

ثُمَّ جَثَى لِرَميَةٍ رَماها

ثُمَّ جَثَى لِرَميَةٍ رَماها

He readied an arrow that lay foremost among them,

A hunter aimed at a charging oryx wild

Then knelt for a shot that he loosed.

And loosed a shaft too feeble to hold fast.

اهوَى بِسَهمٍ خائِبٍ اَشواها

اهوَى بِسَهمٍ خائِبٍ اَشواها

فَعَضَّ بِالكَفِّ وَقَد دَمَاها

فَعَضَّ بِالكَفِّ وَقَد دَمَاها

He let fly a luckless arrow that missed her vital parts;

It glanced aside, and cutting through his hand

So he bit his hand and made it bleed.

Left his fingers bathed in blood as it passed.

وَاَجفَلَت مُضطَمِراً قُطراها

وَاَجفَلَت مُضطَمِراً قُطراها

وَبَلدَةٍ خاشِعَةٍ صُواها

وَبَلدَةٍ خاشِعَةٍ صُواها

And she bolted, her two flanks lean.

Sullenly he bound his bleeding grip

And a land with its cairns bowed low,

While the antelope fled on with streaming mane.

هَيماءَ مَرهُوبٍ بِها سُراها

هَيماءَ مَرهُوبٍ بِها سُراها

يُجاوِبُ البُومُ بِها صَداها

يُجاوِبُ البُومُ بِها صَداها

A waterless waste where night travel is feared,

Only this abandoned site and lonely plain

Where the owls answer its echo—

Echo now where builders raised walls high.

قَطَعتُها بِمٍِقذَفٍ ساماها

قَطَعتُها بِمٍِقذَفٍ ساماها

اِنَّ تَمِيماً خَيَّسَت عِداها

اِنَّ تَمِيماً خَيَّسَت عِداها

I crossed it on a mighty camel that rivalled it.

Sounding oft his desolate refrain.

Indeed, Tamim has subdued her foes.

Tamim's glory lit the past now dead

وَيلٌ لِمَن حارَبَ اَو عاداها

وَيلٌ لِمَن حارَبَ اَو عاداها

وَوَرِثَت عِزَّتَهُ اَباها

وَوَرِثَت عِزَّتَهُ اَباها

Woe to whoever fights her or shows her enmity!

Woe to those who break faith or oppose instead!

And she inherited her father’s might.

From her sires it won fame that still remains

اِذا مَعَدُّ زَخَرَت قُدناها

اِذا مَعَدُّ زَخَرَت قُدناها

كُرهاً اِذا ما اجتَمَعَت عُتاها

كُرهاً اِذا ما اجتَمَعَت عُتاها

When Maʿadd surged forth, we led her,

When her fierce horsemen charged with lance and sword.

Against her will, when her defiant men gathered.

Loath, we meet where once her warriors massed,

نُذِلُّ في النَّاسِ عَشَوزَناها

نُذِلُّ في النَّاسِ عَشَوزَناها

وَاللَّهِ لَولا اَن يُقالَ شاها

وَاللَّهِ لَولا اَن يُقالَ شاها

We humble her strongman among the people.

And our might is gone, our name disgraced.

By God, were it not that 'Shame!' might be said,

But for fear of shame, reproachful words,

وَرَهبَةَ النّارِ بِاَن نَصلاها

وَرَهبَةَ النّارِ بِاَن نَصلاها

اَو يَدعُوَ النَّاسُ عَلَينا اللاّها

اَو يَدعُوَ النَّاسُ عَلَينا اللاّها

And dread of the Fire, that we should burn in it,

Or lest others pray bad luck may fall,

Or that people invoke God against us,

Or a lord denounce us, we would never bend

لَمَا عَرَفنا لاَمِيرٍ قاها

لَمَا عَرَفنا لاَمِيرٍ قاها

ما خَطَرَت سَعدٌ عَلَى قَناها

ما خَطَرَت سَعدٌ عَلَى قَناها

We would acknowledge no ruler’s authority,

To meet where hostile hordes their ranks extend.

So long as Saʿd strides proudly with her spears.

War we do not dread nor feel alarm

لا نَتَّقِي الحَربَ وَلا نَخشاها

لا نَتَّقِي الحَربَ وَلا نَخشاها

نَضرِبُ بِالبِيضِ اِذا نَعصاها

نَضرِبُ بِالبِيضِ اِذا نَعصاها

We do not shun war, nor do we fear it.

When we bare our blades and brandish arms.

We strike with bright swords when we defy it.

We whose lineage springs from Khandif's loins

وَنَحنُ مِن خِندِفَ فى ذُراها

وَنَحنُ مِن خِندِفَ فى ذُراها

سَما بِنا المَجدُ اِلى عُلاها

سَما بِنا المَجدُ اِلى عُلاها

And we are of Khindif, among her heights;

Were exalted to glory's highest plane.

Glory lifted us to her heights.

First we were renowned for generous deeds.

نسبق بالخيرات في مداها

نسبق بالخيرات في مداها

We race ahead in good deeds along their course.