كَم مِن مُنادٍ وَالشَريفانِ دونَهُ

كَم مِن مُنادٍ وَالشَريفانِ دونَهُ

إِلى اللَهِ تُشكى وَالوَليدِ مَفاقِرُه

إِلى اللَهِ تُشكى وَالوَليدِ مَفاقِرُه

How many a caller, with the two Sharifs before him,

How many a caller and the noble ones below him

Whose hardships are lamented to God and al-Walid!

Complain to God and the destitute complain to al-Walid

يُنادي أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَدونَهُ

يُنادي أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَدونَهُ

مَلاً تَتَمَطّى بِالمَهاري ظَهائِرُه

مَلاً تَتَمَطّى بِالمَهاري ظَهائِرُه

He calls to the Commander of the Faithful, while before him lies

Calling upon the Commander of the Faithful and below him

A vast desert plain whose noons stretch out for the Mahri camels,

A herd whose udders are sucked dry by the suckling young

بَعيدُ نِياطِ الماءِ يَستَسلِمُ القَطا

بَعيدُ نِياطِ الماءِ يَستَسلِمُ القَطا

بِهِ وَأَدِلّاءُ الفَلاةِ حَيائِرُه

بِهِ وَأَدِلّاءُ الفَلاةِ حَيائِرُه

With water far out of reach, the sandgrouse surrender

Far from the watering places the oryx surrenders

There, and the desert's guides are bewildered by it.

To it and the guides of the wilderness lose their way

يَبيتُ يُرامي الذِئبَ دونَ عِيالِهِ

يَبيتُ يُرامي الذِئبَ دونَ عِيالِهِ

وَلَو ماتَ لَم يَشبَع عَنِ العَظمِ طائِرُه

وَلَو ماتَ لَم يَشبَع عَنِ العَظمِ طائِرُه

He spends the night pelting the wolf to defend his dependents;

He spends the night fending off wolves from his family

And were he to die, the bird feeding on his bones would not be sated.

And were he to die his bones would not be picked clean by the birds

رَأَوني فَنادَوني أَسوقُ مَطِيَّتي

رَأَوني فَنادَوني أَسوقُ مَطِيَّتي

بِأَصواتِ هُلّاكٍ سِغابٍ حَرائِرُه

بِأَصواتِ هُلّاكٍ سِغابٍ حَرائِرُه

They saw me and called to me as I drove my mount,

They saw me and called out to me as I led my she-camel

With the cries of the perishing, whose freeborn women were famished.

With voices of weeping and free women wailing

فَقالوا أَغِثنا إِن بَلَغتَ بِدَعوَةٍ

فَقالوا أَغِثنا إِن بَلَغتَ بِدَعوَةٍ

لَنا عِندَ خَيرِ الناسِ إِنَّكَ زائِرُه

لَنا عِندَ خَيرِ الناسِ إِنَّكَ زائِرُه

So they said: Help us, if you can bring a plea

And said “Help us if you can with a prayer

For us before the best of men; indeed, you are visiting him.

For us to the best of men, you who visit him”

فَقُلتُ لَهُم إِن يُبلِغِ اللَهُ ناقَتي

فَقُلتُ لَهُم إِن يُبلِغِ اللَهُ ناقَتي

وَإِيّايَ أُنبي بِالَّذي أَنا خابِرُه

وَإِيّايَ أُنبي بِالَّذي أَنا خابِرُه

So I said to them: If God brings my she-camel

So I said to them “If God brings my she-camel

And me there, I will report what I know firsthand:

And me to where I've seen the wolf every evening

بِحَيثُ رَأَيتُ الذِئبَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

بِحَيثُ رَأَيتُ الذِئبَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

يَروحُ عَلى مَهزولِكُم وَيُباكِرُه

يَروحُ عَلى مَهزولِكُم وَيُباكِرُه

Where I saw the wolf every evening

Prowling around your emaciated ones and attacking them early

Come at dusk to your wasted ones, and visit them at dawn,

To tear off some carrion from those among you it besieges

لِيَجتَرَّ مِنكُم إِن رَأى بارِزاً لَهُ

لِيَجتَرَّ مِنكُم إِن رَأى بارِزاً لَهُ

مِنَ الجِيَفِ اللائي عَلَيكُم حَظائِرُه

مِنَ الجِيَفِ اللائي عَلَيكُم حَظائِرُه

To drag one from among you, if it sees any exposed to it,

Help Mudar, for years of hardship succeed

Among the carcasses whose enclosures lie around you.

Each other, crushing their bones with irresistible force

أَغِث مُضَراً إِنَّ السِنينَ تَتابَعَت

أَغِث مُضَراً إِنَّ السِنينَ تَتابَعَت

عَلَيها بِحَزٍّ يَكسِرَ العَظمَ جازِرُه

عَلَيها بِحَزٍّ يَكسِرَ العَظمَ جازِرُه

Bring relief to Mudar! The famine years have followed one another

While all other tribes in the countryside have open roads

Upon it, with a cutting whose butcher shatters the bone.

And they are where hunger lies between Tihama

فَكُلُّ مَعَدٍّ غَيرُهُم حَولَ ساعِدٍ

فَكُلُّ مَعَدٍّ غَيرُهُم حَولَ ساعِدٍ

مِنَ الريفِ لَم تُحظَر عَلَيهِم قَناطِرُه

مِنَ الريفِ لَم تُحظَر عَلَيهِم قَناطِرُه

For all Ma'add except them dwell around a watercourse

And Khaybar and the valley where hunger is always present

Of the fertile countryside; its bridges have not been barred to them.

A valley whose water is only fit for dogs, its interior

وَهُم حَيثُ حَلَّ الجوعُ بَينَ تِهامَةٍ

وَهُم حَيثُ حَلَّ الجوعُ بَينَ تِهامَةٍ

وَخَيبَرَ وَالوادي الَّذي الجوعُ حاضِرُه

وَخَيبَرَ وَالوادي الَّذي الجوعُ حاضِرُه

While they are where hunger has settled, between Tihamah

Filled with the crying banners of hunger unfurled

And Khaybar, and the valley where hunger is present,

And they even considered slaughtering the dogs that

بِوادٍ بِهِ ماءُ الكُلابِ وَبَطنُهُ

بِوادٍ بِهِ ماءُ الكُلابِ وَبَطنُهُ

بِهِ العَلَمُ الباكي مِنَ الجوعِ ساجِرُه

بِهِ العَلَمُ الباكي مِنَ الجوعِ ساجِرُه

In a valley containing the water of al-Kulab; and in its hollow

Previously, when the rains were delayed, were protected by them as lions

Stands the hill whose companion weeps from hunger.

وَهَمَّت بِتَذبيحِ الكِلابِ مِنَ الَّذي

وَهَمَّت بِتَذبيحِ الكِلابِ مِنَ الَّذي

بِها أَسَدٌ إِذ أَمسَكَ الغَيثَ ماطِرُه

بِها أَسَدٌ إِذ أَمسَكَ الغَيثَ ماطِرُه

And intent on slaughtering dogs, because of what

Afflicted it, was Asad, when the rain-giver withheld the rain.