وَأَعرابِيَّةٌ تَرتادُ زاداً

وَأَعرابِيَّةٌ تَرتادُ زاداً

فَتَمرُقُ مِن بِلادٍ في بِلادِ

فَتَمرُقُ مِن بِلادٍ في بِلادِ

And a Bedouin woman seeks provisions,

A Bedouin woman travels for provisions,

then darts from land to land.

Roaming from land to land.

غَدَت تَمشي بِمِنشارٍ كَليلٍ

غَدَت تَمشي بِمِنشارٍ كَليلٍ

تَبوعُ بِهِ قَرارَةَ كُلِّ وادي

تَبوعُ بِهِ قَرارَةَ كُلِّ وادي

She set out walking with a blunt saw,

She walks with a slender saw,

with which she paces out the bottom of every valley.

Following it through every valley.

وَتَنشُرُ في الهَواءِ رِداءَ شُربٍ

وَتَنشُرُ في الهَواءِ رِداءَ شُربٍ

عَلى أَرجائِهِ نُقَطَ المِدادِ

عَلى أَرجائِهِ نُقَطَ المِدادِ

And she spreads a cloak of fine linen in the air,

She spreads out a cloak of fine fabric in the air

with spots of ink along its edges.

Ink dots spattered over its hems.

وَتَلبِسُ تَحتَ ذاكَ عِطافَ لاذٍ

وَتَلبِسُ تَحتَ ذاكَ عِطافَ لاذٍ

عَلى أَكتافِهِ وَدَعَ الجِسادِ

عَلى أَكتافِهِ وَدَعَ الجِسادِ

And beneath that she wears a mantle of red silk,

Underneath she wears a soft veil

with cowries of saffron dye upon its shoulders.

Draped over her shoulders, barely clothing her body.