أَخَذَت مَعاقِلَها اللِقاحُ لِمَجلِسٍ

أَخَذَت مَعاقِلَها اللِقاحُ لِمَجلِسٍ

حَولَ اِبنِ أَكثَمِ مِن بَني أَنمارِ

حَولَ اِبنِ أَكثَمِ مِن بَني أَنمارِ

The milch camels took up their tethering places for a gathering

The fertile pollen had taken its fortresses for a gathering

around Ibn Aktham of Banu Anmar.

Around Ibn Aktham of the Bani Anmar tribe

وَلَقَد أَتَيتُكُمُ بِلَيلٍ دامِسٍ

وَلَقَد أَتَيتُكُمُ بِلَيلٍ دامِسٍ

وَلَقَد أَتَيتُ سُراتَكُم بِنَهارِ

وَلَقَد أَتَيتُ سُراتَكُم بِنَهارِ

And indeed I came to you on a pitch-dark night,

And I certainly came to you in pitch darkness

and indeed I came to your chiefs by day.

And I certainly came upon your dwellings in daylight

فَوَجَدتُكُم لِقَحاً حُبِسنَ بِخُلَّةٍ

فَوَجَدتُكُم لِقَحاً حُبِسنَ بِخُلَّةٍ

وَحُبِسنَ إِذ صُرّينَ غَيرَ غِزارِ

وَحُبِسنَ إِذ صُرّينَ غَيرَ غِزارِ

So I found you milch camels confined on sweet pasture,

So I found you to be pollen made infertile through stinginess

and confined when their teats were tied, yielding little milk.

Infertile since you were reduced other than abundant

مَنَعوا البِكارَةَ وَالأَفالَ كِلَيهِما

مَنَعوا البِكارَةَ وَالأَفالَ كِلَيهِما

وَلَهُم أَضَنُّ بِأُمِّ كُلِّ حِوارِ

وَلَهُم أَضَنُّ بِأُمِّ كُلِّ حِوارِ

They withheld both the young camels and the camel calves,

They forbade she-camels and camel herds altogether

and they are even stingier with the mother of every suckling calf.

And for them a she-camel is more jealous than any free woman