حَيَّتكَ عَزَّةُ بَعدَ الهَجرِ وَاِنصَرَفَت

حَيَّتكَ عَزَّةُ بَعدَ الهَجرِ وَاِنصَرَفَت

فَحَيِّ وَيَحَكَ مَن حَيّاكَ يا جَمَلُ

فَحَيِّ وَيَحَكَ مَن حَيّاكَ يا جَمَلُ

Azza greeted you after the estrangement, then turned away.

Your greeting was pride after estrangement and then withdrew,

So greet—alas for you!—the one who greeted you, O camel.

So greet whoever greeted you, O camel.

لَو كُنتَ حَيَّيتَها ما زِلتَ ذا مِقَةٍ

لَو كُنتَ حَيَّيتَها ما زِلتَ ذا مِقَةٍ

عِندي وَلا مَسَّكَ الإِدلاجُ وَالعَمَلُ

عِندي وَلا مَسَّكَ الإِدلاجُ وَالعَمَلُ

Had you greeted her, you would have remained dear

If you had greeted her, you would still be honorable to me,

To me, and neither night travel nor toil would have touched you.

And neither darkness nor toil would have touched you.

فَحَنَّ مِن وَلَهٍ إِذ قُلتُ ذاكَ لَهُ

فَحَنَّ مِن وَلَهٍ إِذ قُلتُ ذاكَ لَهُ

وَظَلَّ مُعتَذِراً قَد شَفَّهُ الخَجَلُ

وَظَلَّ مُعتَذِراً قَد شَفَّهُ الخَجَلُ

So he moaned with anguished longing when I said that to him,

He languished with yearning when I said that to him,

And remained apologetic, worn down by shame.

And remained apologizing, shamed by modesty.

وَرَدَّ مِن جَزَعٍ ما كُنتُ أَعرِفُها

وَرَدَّ مِن جَزَعٍ ما كُنتُ أَعرِفُها

وَرامَ تَكليمَها لَو تَنطِق الإِبِلُ

وَرامَ تَكليمَها لَو تَنطِق الإِبِلُ

And in distress he replied, 'I did not know her,'

He refuted in distress what I did not know about her,

And sought to speak to her—if camels could speak.

And tried to speak to her, if only camels could speak.

لَيتَ التَحِيَّةَ كانَت لي فَأَشكُرَها

لَيتَ التَحِيَّةَ كانَت لي فَأَشكُرَها

مَكانَ يا جَمَلٌ حُيّيتَ يا رَجُلُ

مَكانَ يا جَمَلٌ حُيّيتَ يا رَجُلُ

If only the greeting had been for me, so I could thank her,

If only the greeting had been meant for me, so I could thank her

Instead of 'O camel,' 'Greetings to you, O man!'

Instead, O camel, you were greeted, O man.