أَلا لَيتَ شِعري ما أَرادَت مُجاشِعٌ

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري ما أَرادَت مُجاشِعٌ

إِلى الغَيطِ أَم ماذا يَقولُ أَميرُها

إِلى الغَيطِ أَم ماذا يَقولُ أَميرُها

Ah, would that I knew what Mujāshiʿ intended—

Ah, would that I knew what Mujāshiʿ intended

ill will toward me? Or what does her chief say?

in heading toward the lowlands—or what its chief says.

أَلَم نَكُ أَعلى دارِمٍ في دِيارِها

أَلَم نَكُ أَعلى دارِمٍ في دِيارِها

وَأَكثَرَها إِن عُدَّ يَوماً نَفيرُها

وَأَكثَرَها إِن عُدَّ يَوماً نَفيرُها

Were we not the noblest of Dārim throughout her lands,

Were we not the loftiest of Dārim in its lands,

and her most numerous, whenever her fighting host was mustered?

and its most numerous, if ever its fighting men were counted?

فَلا تَفرَحا يا اِبنَي رَقاشٍ بِنَأيِها

فَلا تَفرَحا يا اِبنَي رَقاشٍ بِنَأيِها

فَقَد كانَ مِمّا أَن تَطِمَّ بُحورُها

فَقَد كانَ مِمّا أَن تَطِمَّ بُحورُها

So do not rejoice, O sons of Riqāsh, that she is far away—

So do not rejoice, you two sons of Raqāsh, at its remoteness,

for her seas may well rise and overflow.

for its seas have indeed been known to surge and overflow.