أَينَ اِمرُؤُ القَيسِ وَالعَذارى

أَينَ اِمرُؤُ القَيسِ وَالعَذارى

إِذ مالَ مِن تَحتِهِ الغَبيطُ

إِذ مالَ مِن تَحتِهِ الغَبيطُ

Where are Imru’ al-Qays and the maidens,

Where is Imru' al-Qays and the virgin maids

when the camel-litter tilted beneath him?

When he leaned from under him the cushion

لَهُ كُمَيتانِ ذاتُ كَأسٍ

لَهُ كُمَيتانِ ذاتُ كَأسٍ

تُزبِدُ وَالسابِحُ الرَبيطُ

تُزبِدُ وَالسابِحُ الرَبيطُ

Two dark-red things were his: wine in a cup,

He has two leather water-bags of a goblet

foaming, and the sturdy, gliding steed.

Foaming while the swimmer is strong

يُباكِرُ الصَيدَ بِالمَذاكي

يُباكِرُ الصَيدَ بِالمَذاكي

فَيَأنَسُ الموحِشُ الهَبيطُ

فَيَأنَسُ الموحِشُ الهَبيطُ

He goes out early to hunt on full-grown steeds,

He gets up early to hunt with the dogs

so the desolate lowland finds company.

So he cheers up the scared wildlife

اِستَنبَطَ العُربُ في المَوامي

اِستَنبَطَ العُربُ في المَوامي

بَعدَكَ وَاِستَعرَبَ النَبيطُ

بَعدَكَ وَاِستَعرَبَ النَبيطُ

The Arabs became Nabataeans in the wastelands

The Arabs in the dwellings sought

after you, and the Nabataeans became Arabs.

After you and the non-Arabs acquired Arabic

كَأَنَّ دُنياكَ ماءُ حَوضٍ

كَأَنَّ دُنياكَ ماءُ حَوضٍ

آخِرُهُ آجِنٌ خَبيطُ

آخِرُهُ آجِنٌ خَبيطُ

Your world is like water in a basin,

As if your world is a pool’s water

its last portion stagnant and muddied.

Its latter murky, turbid

وَالقَوتُ فيها لَنا مُباحٌ

وَالقَوتُ فيها لَنا مُباحٌ

لَو أَنَّهُ مِن دَمٍ عَبيطُ

لَو أَنَّهُ مِن دَمٍ عَبيطُ

And sustenance in it is permitted to us,

And sustenance in it is permitted for us

even if it comes from fresh blood.

Even if it were from clotted blood