بُسَيطَةُ مَهلاً سُقيتِ القِطارا

بُسَيطَةُ مَهلاً سُقيتِ القِطارا

تَرَكتِ عُيونَ عَبيدي حَيارى

تَرَكتِ عُيونَ عَبيدي حَيارى

Busayta, go easy! May you be watered with rain.

O Basiyta, slowly the train passed by

O Basita, gently! May you be watered by the pouring rain,

You have left my slaves’ eyes bewildered.

Leaving my slaves' eyes bewildered

For you have left the eyes of my servants lost in bewilderment;

فَظَنّوا النِعامَ عَلَيكِ النَخيلَ

فَظَنّوا النِعامَ عَلَيكِ النَخيلَ

وَظَنّوا الصِوارَ عَلَيكِ المَنارا

وَظَنّوا الصِوارَ عَلَيكِ المَنارا

So they mistook the ostriches upon you for palm trees,

They mistook the ostriches for palm trees upon you

They mistook the ostriches upon your sands for palm trees,

And they mistook the herd of wild cattle upon you for waymarks.

And the whistles for minarets upon you

And thought the herds of wild cattle were towering beacons,

فَأَمسَكَ صَحبي بِأَكوارِهِم

فَأَمسَكَ صَحبي بِأَكوارِهِم

وَقَد قَصَدَ الضِحكُ فيهِم وَجارا

وَقَد قَصَدَ الضِحكُ فيهِم وَجارا

So my companions clutched their camel saddles,

So my companions held back their buckets

So my companions clutched their saddles to steady themselves,

While laughter among them kept bounds and overstepped them.

As laughter began to spread among them

As laughter burrowed deep within them, finding a den.