لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ أَرَى جِدَبّا

لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ أَرَى جِدَبّا

في عامِنَا ذا بَعْدَ ما اخْضَبّا

في عامِنَا ذا بَعْدَ ما اخْضَبّا

I have indeed feared that I would see drought

I feared that I would see barrenness

in this year of ours, after it had grown lush.

In our year after it grew old

إِنَّ الدَبَى فَوْق المُتُونِ دَبّا

إِنَّ الدَبَى فَوْق المُتُونِ دَبّا

وَهَبَّتِ الرِيحُ بِمُورٍ هَبّا

وَهَبَّتِ الرِيحُ بِمُورٍ هَبّا

Indeed, the locust nymphs crawled over the uplands,

Indeed, the plants above the dunes crawled

and the wind blew in a dust-laden blast,

And the wind blew violently

تَتْرُكُ ما أَبْقَى الدَبَى سَبْسَبَّا

تَتْرُكُ ما أَبْقَى الدَبَى سَبْسَبَّا

كَأَنَّهُ السَيْلُ إِذا اسْلَحَبّا

كَأَنَّهُ السَيْلُ إِذا اسْلَحَبّا

leaving what the locust nymphs spared a barren plain,

Leaving what the plants crawled over disturbed

as though it were a torrent sweeping far onward,

As if it were a flood when it receded

أَوْ كَالحَرِيقِ وافَقَ القَصَبّا

أَوْ كَالحَرِيقِ وافَقَ القَصَبّا

والتِبْنَ وَالحَلْفاءَ فَالْتَهَبّا

والتِبْنَ وَالحَلْفاءَ فَالْتَهَبّا

or like a fire that came upon reeds

Or a fire that met with dry reeds

and straw and halfa grass, then blazed up,

And hay and dry plants so it blazed

حَتَّى تَرَى البُوَيْزِلَ الإِرْزَبّا

حَتَّى تَرَى البُوَيْزِلَ الإِرْزَبّا

مِنْ عَدَمِ المَرْعَى قَدِ اقْرَعَبّا

مِنْ عَدَمِ المَرْعَى قَدِ اقْرَعَبّا

until you see the stout, full-grown camel

Until you see the goats bleating

already shriveled for lack of pasture.

From lack of pasture, so they became emaciated

تُبّاً لأَصْحابِ الشَوِيِّ تُبّا

تُبّاً لأَصْحابِ الشَوِيِّ تُبّا

Ruin upon the owners of sheep—ruin!

Woe to the people of passion, woe