يَئِستُ مِنَ الحَذِيَّةِ أُمَّ عَمرٍو

غَداةَ إِذ اِنتَحَوني بِالجَنابِ

Umm 'Amr despaired of her neighbor

One morning when they spurned me as an intruder

فَيَأسَكَ مِن صَديقِكَ ثُمَّ يَأساً

ضُحى يَومِ الأُحَثِّ مِنَ الإِيابِ

So you should despair of your friend and then despair

At dawn on the day of departure and return

يُصاحُ بِكاهِلٍ حَولي وَعَمرٍو

وَهُم كَالضارِياتِ مِنَ الكِلابِ

They cry out to me, while 'Amr and his band

Are like hunting hounds unleashed from their chains

يُساقونَ الصَبوحَ بِذي مُراخٍ

وَأُخرى القَومِ تَحتَ حَريقِ غابِ

They lead their steeds at first light, fully armed,

While others race their horses beneath the forest's canopy

فَمِنّا عُصبَةٌ لا هُم حُماةٌ

وَلا هُم فَاِئتونا في الذَهابِ

Among us is a band who are no protectors

Nor will they join us when we ride away

وَمِنّا عُصبَةٌ أُخرى حُماةٌ

كَغَليِ القِدرِ حُشَّت بِالثِقابِ

And among us another band who are defenders

They seethed like the boiling contents of cooking pots

وَمِنّا عُصبَةٌ أُخرى سِراعٌ

زَفَتها الريحُ كَالسَنَنِ الطِرابِ

And among us yet another swift-riding troop

Whose galloping the wind made seem like grazing mountain goats