أَلا يا لَيتَ كَلباً بادَلونا

أَلا يا لَيتَ كَلباً بادَلونا

بِمَولانا وَكانَ لَها الصَميمُ

بِمَولانا وَكانَ لَها الصَميمُ

Ah, if only Kalb would trade with us

Alas! If only they had traded me

For our ally, and the pure stock would be hers.

For our master, for he was true of heart,

فَبادَلنا بِزَيدِ اللاتِ عَوصاً

فَبادَلنا بِزَيدِ اللاتِ عَوصاً

كِلا البَدَلَينِ مُقتَرَفٌ بَهيمُ

كِلا البَدَلَينِ مُقتَرَفٌ بَهيمُ

Then we would trade ʿAwṣ for Zayd al-Lāt:

Yet they traded me for that slave Zaid

Both lots in the exchange are mixed-bred and jet-black.

Both these trades were made by fools,

وَطابِخَةُ الَّتي لا عِزَّ فيها

وَطابِخَةُ الَّتي لا عِزَّ فيها

تُجيرُ بِهِ وَلا حَسَبٌ كَريمُ

تُجيرُ بِهِ وَلا حَسَبٌ كَريمُ

And Ṭābikha, who has no might

And the cook who has no honor

With which to grant protection, nor noble ancestral honor.

Shelters him, though she is of no noble lineage,

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّني وَاِبنَي جُعَيلٍ

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّني وَاِبنَي جُعَيلٍ

وَأُمَّهُما لِإِستارٌ لَئيمُ

وَأُمَّهُما لِإِستارٌ لَئيمُ

By your life, I and Juʿayl's two sons,

By your life! I and my son Ju'ail

And their mother, are indeed a base foursome.

And his mother are but lowly hides,

فَما تَدري إِذا ما الناسُ ساروا

فَما تَدري إِذا ما الناسُ ساروا

أَتَظعَنُ بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَم تُقيمُ

أَتَظعَنُ بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَم تُقيمُ

So she does not know, when the people set out,

So she knows not if people travel on

Whether she will depart after that or stay.

Shall she wander or stay put thereafter,

يَظَلُّ بَنو النَعامَةِ حابِسيهُم

يَظَلُّ بَنو النَعامَةِ حابِسيهُم

إِذا وَرَدوا وَوِردُهُمُ ذَميمُ

إِذا وَرَدوا وَوِردُهُمُ ذَميمُ

The sons of al-Naʿāma keep holding them back,

The ostrich clan will imprison their captives

When they come to water—and their watering is shameful.

When they arrive, and their watering hole is foul.