إِذا مَرَرتَ بِوادٍ جاشَ غارِبُهُ

إِذا مَرَرتَ بِوادٍ جاشَ غارِبُهُ

فَاِعقِل قُلوصُكَ وَاِنزِل ذاكَ وادينا

فَاِعقِل قُلوصُكَ وَاِنزِل ذاكَ وادينا

If you pass through a valley whose flood surges high,

When you pass by a valley, raging and turbulent,

Then hobble your young she-camel and dismount: that is our valley.

Restrain your rage, and let that be our valley.

وَإِن عَبَرتَ بِنادٍ لاتُطيفُ بِهِ

وَإِن عَبَرتَ بِنادٍ لاتُطيفُ بِهِ

أَهلُ السَفاهَةِ فَاِجلِس ذاكَ نادينا

أَهلُ السَفاهَةِ فَاِجلِس ذاكَ نادينا

And if you pass by a gathering place not frequented

And if you pass by a club, not graced by nobility,

By people of folly, sit down: that is our gathering place.

Sit in that, our club.

نُغيرُ في الهَجمَةِ الغَرّاءِ نَنحَرُها

نُغيرُ في الهَجمَةِ الغَرّاءِ نَنحَرُها

حَتّى لَيَعطَشُ في الأَحيانِ راعينا

حَتّى لَيَعطَشُ في الأَحيانِ راعينا

We raid the splendid camel herd, slaughtering it,

We attack recklessly the white fatality, and slaughter it,

Till at times even our herdsman goes thirsty.

Until even our shepherd thirsts at times.

وَتَجفَلُ الشَولُ بَعدَ الخَمسِ صادِيَةً

وَتَجفَلُ الشَولُ بَعدَ الخَمسِ صادِيَةً

إِذا سَمِعنَ عَلى الأَمواهِ حادينا

إِذا سَمِعنَ عَلى الأَمواهِ حادينا

And the dry she-camels stampede, thirsty after five days,

The ewes wander lost after five, bleating,

When they hear our camel-driver at the watering places.

When they hear our voice on the watering places.

وَتَغتَدي الكومُ أَشتاتاً مُرَوَّعَةً

وَتَغتَدي الكومُ أَشتاتاً مُرَوَّعَةً

لا تَأمَنُ الدَهرَ إِلّا مِن أَعادينا

لا تَأمَنُ الدَهرَ إِلّا مِن أَعادينا

And the high-humped she-camels go out in the morning, scattered and terrified,

And the caravan gathers startled and scattered,

Never feeling safe except from our enemies.

Not feeling safe from fate except from us.

وَيُصبِحُ الضَيفُ أَولانا بِمَنزِلِنا

وَيُصبِحُ الضَيفُ أَولانا بِمَنزِلِنا

نَرضى بِذاكَ وَيَمضي حُكمُهُ فينا

نَرضى بِذاكَ وَيَمضي حُكمُهُ فينا

And the guest becomes more entitled to our home than we are;

And the guest spends the night miserable in our dwellings,

We are content with that, and his judgment prevails among us.

We accept that, and his judgement rules over us.