وما أُمُّ خِشْفٍ ظَلَّ يوماً وليلةً

وما أُمُّ خِشْفٍ ظَلَّ يوماً وليلةً

ببَلْقَعةٍ بَيْداءَ ظَمْآنَ صادِيَا

ببَلْقَعةٍ بَيْداءَ ظَمْآنَ صادِيَا

And the mother of a gazelle fawn that spent a day and a night

No mother ostrich has wandered a day and night

in a barren wilderness, thirsty and parched—

In a waterless desert, thirsty and wandering,

تَهيمُ فلا تَدْري إلى أين تَنتهي

تَهيمُ فلا تَدْري إلى أين تَنتهي

مولهَّةً حَيْرَى تَجُوبُ الفَيافِيا

مولهَّةً حَيْرَى تَجُوبُ الفَيافِيا

she wanders, not knowing where she will end up,

Bewildered, not knowing where her path will end,

distraught and bewildered, roaming the desert wastes;

Confused, roaming the wide desert,

أَضَرَّ بها حَرُّ الهَجِير فلَمْ تَجِدْ

أَضَرَّ بها حَرُّ الهَجِير فلَمْ تَجِدْ

لِغُلتَّها مِنْ بارِدِ الماءِ شافِيا

لِغُلتَّها مِنْ بارِدِ الماءِ شافِيا

the midday heat afflicted her, and she found

Scorched by the heat of the hot wind, finding

no cool water to soothe her burning thirst;

No cold water to cure her burning thirst,

فلمّا دنتْ من خِشْفِها انعطفتْ له

فلمّا دنتْ من خِشْفِها انعطفتْ له

فألفَتْه ملهوفَ الجَوانحِ طاوِيا

فألفَتْه ملهوفَ الجَوانحِ طاوِيا

and when she neared her fawn, she turned toward him

Than when she neared her nest and turned toward it

and found him anguished in his breast, empty-bellied—

She found her chick there with crumpled wings,

بأَوْجَعَ مِنَّي يومَ شدُّوا رِحالَهمْ

بأَوْجَعَ مِنَّي يومَ شدُّوا رِحالَهمْ

ونادَى منادي الحيِّ أن لا تَلاقِيا

ونادَى منادي الحيِّ أن لا تَلاقِيا

is no more anguished than I was the day they fastened their saddles,

More agonized than I the day they pulled up stakes

and the tribe's herald cried out, 'No reunion!'

And the caller called that we'd never meet again.