أَقْفَرَ مِنْ أُمِّ اليَمانِي لَعْلَعُ

أَقْفَرَ مِنْ أُمِّ اليَمانِي لَعْلَعُ

فَبَطْنُ ذِي قَارٍ فَقارٌ بَلْقَعُ

فَبَطْنُ ذِي قَارٍ فَقارٌ بَلْقَعُ

Laʿlaʿ lies deserted, bereft of Umm al-Yamānī;

More desolate than Umm al-Yamani's abode

Then the valley of Dhū Qār, then Qār—a barren waste.

Whose belly rumbles loudly like thunder

كَغُصْنِ بانٍ عُودُهُ سَرَعْرَعُ

كَغُصْنِ بانٍ عُودُهُ سَرَعْرَعُ

كَأَنَّ وِرْداً مِنْ دِهانٍ يُمْرِعُ

كَأَنَّ وِرْداً مِنْ دِهانٍ يُمْرِعُ

Like a bān branch, its stem tender and supple.

Like a bent branch whose wood creaks

As though a draught of oils were refreshing

As if it were a rose dripping with scent

لَوْنِي وَلَوْ هَبَّتْ عَقِيمٌ تَسْفَعُ

لَوْنِي وَلَوْ هَبَّتْ عَقِيمٌ تَسْفَعُ

كَأَنَّهُ مَدَّ إِلَيْنا أَقْطَعُ

كَأَنَّهُ مَدَّ إِلَيْنا أَقْطَعُ

My complexion, even if a barren wind blew and scorched.

My complexion - even if a barren camel were to roar -

It is as though an amputee reached out toward us,

Is as if he had stretched out to us an amputated hand

مُكَعْبَر الأَرْساغِ أَوْ مُكَنَّعُ

مُكَعْبَر الأَرْساغِ أَوْ مُكَنَّعُ

وَلَا تَنِي أَيْدٍ عَلَيْنا تَضْبَعُ

وَلَا تَنِي أَيْدٍ عَلَيْنا تَضْبَعُ

With knobby wrists, or a contracted hand.

Covered in bracelets or in rings

And hands never cease stretching out toward us,

No hands reach out to us grasping

بِما أَصَبْناها وَأُخْرَى تَطْمَعُ

بِما أَصَبْناها وَأُخْرَى تَطْمَعُ

وَالجِنُّ والإِنْسُ إِلَيْنا هُنَّعُ

وَالجِنُّ والإِنْسُ إِلَيْنا هُنَّعُ

For what we have bestowed on them, while others yearn.

For what we have already attained, while others covet

And jinn and humankind bow humbly before us.

Jinn and mankind applaud us

فَامْدَحْ ذَوي خِنْدِفَ مَدْحاً يَرْفَعُ

فَامْدَحْ ذَوي خِنْدِفَ مَدْحاً يَرْفَعُ

So praise the people of Khindif with praise that exalts.

So praise the clan of Khindif with an exalting eulogy