أَلا إِنَّني قَد هاجَني اللَيلَةَ الذِكَر

وَما ذاكَ مِن حُبِّ النِساءِ وَلا الأَشَر

Alas! Tonight memories have stirred me,

Not from love of women or drink –

وَلَكِنَّني مِمّا أَصابَ عَشيرَتي

وَقَومي بِأَقرانٍ حَوالَيهِمِ الصُبَر

But from what has befallen my tribe,

My steadfast people under duress.

لَيالِيَ نُمسي بَينَ جَوٍّ وَمِسطَحٍ

نَشاوى لَنا مِن كُلِّ سائِمَةٍ جَزَر

On flat land between dunes we camp at night

With meagre provisions from every breeze.

فَيا لَيتَ خَيرَ الناسِ حَيّاً وَمَيِّت

يَقولُ لَنا خَيراً وَيُمضي الَّذي اِئتَمَر

Would that the best of men alive or dead

Might speak good of us and ratify this council.

فَإِن كانَ شَرٌّ فَالعَزاءُ فَإِنَّنا

عَلى وَقَعاتِ الدَهرِ مِن قَبلِها صُبُر

And if it’s bad, there’s consolation, for oft before

We’ve endured the blows of fate and remained patient.

سَقى اللَهُ رَبُّ الناسِ سَحّاً وَديمَةً

جَنوبَ السَراةِ مِن مَآبٍ إِلى زُغَر

May God water the land of the tribe copiously,

The south winds over prairies to hillsides,

بِلادَ اِمرِئٍ لا يَعرِفُ الذَمُّ بَيتَهُ

لَهُ المَشرَبُ الصافي وَلَيسَ لَهُ الكَدَر

The land of a man who knows no blame in his abode,

Of pure springs – no bitterness for him.

تَذَكَّرتُ مِن وَهمِ بنِ عَمروٍ جَلادَةً

وَجُرأَةَ مَعداهُ إِذا نازِحٌ بَكَر

I recalled the courage of Wahm and his horsemen

When they clashed with a hostile tribe at first light.

فَأَبشِر وَقَرَّ العَينَ مِنكَ فَإِنَّني

أَجيءُ كَريماً لا ضَعيفاً وَلا حَصِر

Rejoice! Banish care! For I shall come

Nobly, neither weak nor bound.