فَما ظَبيَةٌ مِن ظِباءِ الحِسا

فَما ظَبيَةٌ مِن ظِباءِ الحِسا

ءِ عَيطاءُ تَسمَعُ مِنها بُغاما

ءِ عَيطاءُ تَسمَعُ مِنها بُغاما

No doe among the does of al-Hasa,

And no gazelle among the gazelles of al-Ḥisāʾ,

long-necked, her soft lowing heard,

long-necked, whose bleating you hear,

تُرَشِّحُ طِفلاً وَتَحنو لَهُ

تُرَشِّحُ طِفلاً وَتَحنو لَهُ

بِحِقفٍ قَدَ أَنبَتَ بَقلاً تُؤاما

بِحِقفٍ قَدَ أَنبَتَ بَقلاً تُؤاما

nursing a fawn and bending tenderly over it

rearing a fawn and bending tenderly toward it

on a sand ridge sprouting twin shoots,

by a curved sand dune that has sprouted paired green shoots,

بِأَحسَنَ مِنها غَداةَ الرَحي

بِأَحسَنَ مِنها غَداةَ الرَحي

لِ قامَت تُريكَ أَثيثاً رُكاما

لِ قامَت تُريكَ أَثيثاً رُكاما

is fairer than she was on the morning of departure,

is lovelier than she on the morning of departure,

when she stood showing you her luxuriant hair, massed high.

when she rose, showing you thick, piled-up tresses.

فَما كانَ حُبُّ اِبنَةِ الخَزرَجِي

فَما كانَ حُبُّ اِبنَةِ الخَزرَجِي

يِ إِلّا عَناءً وَإِلّا غَراما

يِ إِلّا عَناءً وَإِلّا غَراما

The love of the Khazraji’s daughter was nothing

And love of the Khazrajite's daughter was

but suffering, nothing but consuming passion.

nothing but suffering and nothing but unrelenting torment.

فَهَل يُنسِيَن حُبَّها جَسرَةٌ

فَهَل يُنسِيَن حُبَّها جَسرَةٌ

مِنَ الناعِجاتِ تُباري الزِماما

مِنَ الناعِجاتِ تُباري الزِماما

Can a stalwart she-camel make me forget her love—

So will a sturdy she-camel make me forget my love for her,

one of the swift-paced, outstripping the rein?

one of the swift she-camels, racing the rein?

كَأَنَّ قُتودي عَلى نِقنِقٍ

كَأَنَّ قُتودي عَلى نِقنِقٍ

أَزَجَّ يُباري بِجَوٍّ نَعاما

أَزَجَّ يُباري بِجَوٍّ نَعاما

As though my saddle-bars rested on a rangy male ostrich,

As though my saddle's timbers were on a male ostrich,

long-shanked, racing other ostriches across the open plain.

with long, slender brows, racing ostriches across an open plain.

وَفي الأَرضِ يَسبِقُ طَرفَ البَصيرِ

وَفي الأَرضِ يَسبِقُ طَرفَ البَصيرِ

فَبَينا يَعوجُ تَراهُ اِستَقاما

فَبَينا يَعوجُ تَراهُ اِستَقاما

Across the earth it outruns the keen observer’s glance;

And on the ground it outstrips the keen-eyed observer's gaze;

no sooner does it swerve than you see it straight again.

so, while it swerves, you see it already running straight.

وَمَأقِطِ خَسفٍ أَقَمنا بِهِ

وَمَأقِطِ خَسفٍ أَقَمنا بِهِ

عَلى ضَنكِهِ خَشيَةً أَن نُلاما

عَلى ضَنكِهِ خَشيَةً أَن نُلاما

At a battlefield of abasement we held our ground,

And on many a field of oppressive strife we stood firm,

despite its straits, for fear that we should be blamed.

despite its hardship, for fear that we should be blamed.

وَقَوماً أَبَحنا حِمى مَجدِهِم

وَقَوماً أَبَحنا حِمى مَجدِهِم

وَكانوا لِمَن يَعتَريهِم سَناما

وَكانوا لِمَن يَعتَريهِم سَناما

And a people—we laid open the sanctuary of their glory,

And many a people—we overran the protected ground of their glory,

though to all who sought them they had been a pinnacle.

though they were a lofty summit for whoever approached them.

أَذاعَت بِهِم كُلُّ خَيفانَةٍ

أَذاعَت بِهِم كُلُّ خَيفانَةٍ

طَروحٍ طَموحٍ تَلوكُ اللِجاما

طَروحٍ طَموحٍ تَلوكُ اللِجاما

Every lean, swift mare scattered them—

Every swift, slender mare brought ruin upon them,

far-striding, high-headed, champing the bit.

long-striding, high-headed, chewing the bit.