عَفا مِن آلِ فاطِمَةِ السَليلُ

عَفا مِن آلِ فاطِمَةِ السَليلُ

وَقَد قَدُمَت بِذي أَوبٍ طُلولُ

وَقَد قَدُمَت بِذي أَوبٍ طُلولُ

Al-Salīl lies desolate, Fāṭima’s people gone;

The noble descendant of Fatima's family has pardoned

And the dwelling-traces at Dhū Awb have grown old.

Though they advanced with towering fortress

خَلَت وَتَزجَر القَلع الغَوادي

خَلَت وَتَزجَر القَلع الغَوادي

عَلَيها فَالأَنيسُ بِها قَليلُ

عَلَيها فَالأَنيسُ بِها قَليلُ

They lie deserted, and the morning cloudbanks are driven

It lies empty, the dwellings of Gawad abandoned

Over them; few inhabitants remain there.

Few remain there as friends

وَقَفتُ بِها فَلَمّا لَم تُجِبني

وَقَفتُ بِها فَلَمّا لَم تُجِبني

بَكَيتُ وَلَم أَخَل أَنّي جَهولُ

بَكَيتُ وَلَم أَخَل أَنّي جَهولُ

I stood there, and when they did not answer me,

I stood by it, but when there was no response

I wept, though I did not think myself a fool.

I wept, though I am no ignorant fool

وَلَمّا أَن بَدَت لِصَفا أُراقٍ

وَلَمّا أَن بَدَت لِصَفا أُراقٍ

تَجَمَّعَ مِن طَوائِفِهِم فُلولُ

تَجَمَّعَ مِن طَوائِفِهِم فُلولُ

And when they appeared by the rock of Urāq,

And when the morning light shone on Safa's slopes

Routed remnants from their bands gathered.

The remnants of their tribes gathered

كَأَنَّهُم بِجَنبِ القاعِ أَصلاً

كَأَنَّهُم بِجَنبِ القاعِ أَصلاً

نِعامٌ قالِصٌ عَنهُ الظَلولُ

نِعامٌ قالِصٌ عَنهُ الظَلولُ

As though beside the plain, in the late afternoon, they were

As if beside Al-Qaa they had always been

Ostriches, with the shadows receding from them.

Ostriches grazing, shaded from the sun