تربعت في حرض وحمض

تربعت في حرض وحمض

جاءت تهض الأرض أي هض

جاءت تهض الأرض أي هض

The herd grazed in spring among saltwort and salt-loving plants.

She sat proudly in Hirz and Hamz

It came pounding the earth—what a pounding!

She came to rouse the land - what rousing!

يدفع عنها بعضها عن بعض

يدفع عنها بعضها عن بعض

مثل العذارى شمن عين المغضي

مثل العذارى شمن عين المغضي

Some of the herd fend others off from it,

Part of her protects another part

like maidens watching the eye of one whose gaze is lowered.

Like the glances of virgins from the corner of the eye

حلبت للأبرش وهو مغض

حلبت للأبرش وهو مغض

حمراء منها شخبة بالمحض

حمراء منها شخبة بالمحض

I milked for al-Abrash, while he kept his gaze lowered,

She was milked for visitors while still boiling

a red one among them, drawing a gush of pure milk,

Red from her a wisp with pure milk

ليست بذات وبر مبيض

ليست بذات وبر مبيض

كأن صوت شخبها المرفض

كأن صوت شخبها المرفض

not one with whitened hair.

She is not of pure origin

The sound of her gushing milk was like

As if the sound of her wisp refusing

كشيش أفعى أجمعت لعض

كشيش أفعى أجمعت لعض

فهي تحك بعضها ببعض

فهي تحك بعضها ببعض

the hiss of a viper resolved to bite,

Like the hissing of snakes gathered to bite

so she rubs parts of herself against one another.

So she scratches part against part

ةقربوا للبين والتقضي

ةقربوا للبين والتقضي

من كل عجاج ترى للغرض

من كل عجاج ترى للغرض

And they brought forward, for parting and moving on,

Come closer to clarity and justice

dust-raising mounts of every kind; you see a place for the girth

From every hen you see with purpose

خلف رحى حيزومه كالغمض

خلف رحى حيزومه كالغمض

behind the millstone of each one's chest, like a hollow.

Behind the millstone her snout like blinking