كَأَنَّ النُقدَ وَالعَلَسيَّ أَجنى

كَأَنَّ النُقدَ وَالعَلَسيَّ أَجنى

وَنعّمَ نَبتَه وادٍ مَطيرُ

وَنعّمَ نَبتَه وادٍ مَطيرُ

As though the nuqād sheep and the ʿAlāsī breed had bent low to graze—

As though the nuqd and ʿalasī had borne fruit,

how lush the herbage of a valley drenched with rain!

and a rain-rich valley had made their growth luxuriant;

وَمَرضى مِن دَجاجِ الرومِ حُمرٍ

وَمَرضى مِن دَجاجِ الرومِ حُمرٍ

زَواهِفَ لا تَموتُ وَلا تَطيرُ

زَواهِفَ لا تَموتُ وَلا تَطيرُ

And red, sickly hens from the land of Rome,

and sickly ones among the Romans’ red chickens,

creeping things that neither die nor fly.

crawling, neither dying nor flying;

وَثامِرُ كَربَلٍ وَعَميمُ دِفلى

وَثامِرُ كَربَلٍ وَعَميمُ دِفلى

عَلَيها وَالنَدى سَبِطٌ يَمورُ

عَلَيها وَالنَدى سَبِطٌ يَمورُ

Its fruiting plants are karbal and dense oleander;

and fruiting karbal and luxuriant oleander

over them, the smooth dew ripples and sways.

upon it, while the dew flows freely and surges.

فَإِنّي لا وَأُمِّكَ لا أُساري

فَإِنّي لا وَأُمِّكَ لا أُساري

لِقاحَ الجارِ ما سَمَر السَميرُ

لِقاحَ الجارِ ما سَمَر السَميرُ

For no—by your mother—I do not journey by night

For I—no, by your mother—will not travel by night with

after the neighbor’s breeding she-camels, so long as night-talkers converse.

the neighbor’s milch camels, as long as night-talkers converse.

لَقَد ماحَت عَلَيكَ مؤبَّداتٌ

لَقَد ماحَت عَلَيكَ مؤبَّداتٌ

يَلوحُ لهُنَّ أَندابٌ سُفورُ

يَلوحُ لهُنَّ أَندابٌ سُفورُ

Indeed, long-strayed she-camels have come swaying toward you,

Indeed, everlasting satires have poured down upon you;

their scars showing plain and bare upon them.

their scars stand out, plainly exposed.