وَزِنْجيَّةٍ عُرِفَتْ بالإباقِ

وَزِنْجيَّةٍ عُرِفَتْ بالإباقِ

فليسَ لها راحَةٌ من وثاقِ

فليسَ لها راحَةٌ من وثاقِ

And a Zanj woman, known for running away—

A black Zanjiyyah, known for her defiance

so she has no respite from bonds.

She has no respite from her shackles

إذا اضطربَ الماءُ من حَولِها

إذا اضطربَ الماءُ من حَولِها

رَأيْتَ الجبالَ بها في تَلاَقي

رَأيْتَ الجبالَ بها في تَلاَقي

When the water churns around her,

When the water around her is turbulent

you see the mountains meeting about her.

You see the mountains clashing with her

يَثُورُ بها قَسطَلٌ أبيضٌ

يَثُورُ بها قَسطَلٌ أبيضٌ

على القَوْمِ غَيرُ كَثيفِ الرِّواقِ

على القَوْمِ غَيرُ كَثيفِ الرِّواقِ

A white dust-cloud rises about her,

A white storm rises with her

over the company, its canopy not thick.

Against a people not densely lined

فأبناؤُها المُرْدُ شِيبُ الرُّؤوسِ

فأبناؤُها المُرْدُ شِيبُ الرُّؤوسِ

وأبناؤُها السُّودُ بِيضُ التَّراقي

وأبناؤُها السُّودُ بِيضُ التَّراقي

So her beardless sons are gray-headed,

Her aging sons have graying hair

and her black sons have white collarbones.

Her black sons have flashing white teeth

رَكِبْنا إليها غَداةَ الصَّبوحِ

رَكِبْنا إليها غَداةَ الصَّبوحِ

مَطايا تُحثُّ كَدُهْمِ العِتاقِ

مَطايا تُحثُّ كَدُهْمِ العِتاقِ

We rode to her at the hour of the morning draught,

We rode to her at dawn's first light

on mounts urged on like black thoroughbreds.

On steeds spurring their unbridled strength

وَظِلْنا نُمِيتُ لَدَيْها الزِّقاقَ

وَظِلْنا نُمِيتُ لَدَيْها الزِّقاقَ

ونُحيي السُّرورَ بمَوْتِ الزِّقاقِ

ونُحيي السُّرورَ بمَوْتِ الزِّقاقِ

And we spent the day putting wineskins to death beside her,

And we stayed reviving her alleyways

and bringing joy to life through the wineskins’ death.

And greeting joy at the death of her alleyways