طالَ العِشاءُ وَنَحنُ بِالهَضبِ

طالَ العِشاءُ وَنَحنُ بِالهَضبِ

وَأَرِقتُ لَيلَةَ عادَني خَطبي

وَأَرِقتُ لَيلَةَ عادَني خَطبي

The evening dragged on while we were at al-Haḍb,

The evening was prolonged as we were at the hillsides

and I lay sleepless the night my trouble returned.

And I stayed up the night that brought me worries

حَمَّلتُهُ وَقُتودَ مَيسٍ فاتِرٍ

حَمَّلتُهُ وَقُتودَ مَيسٍ فاتِرٍ

سُرُحِ اليَدَينِ وَشيكَةِ الوَثبِ

سُرُحِ اليَدَينِ وَشيكَةِ الوَثبِ

I loaded it, and hackberry saddle-bows, onto a weary she-camel,

I loaded them and the luggage of a listless old she-camel

free-striding in her forelegs, quick to spring.

With the freedom of hands and the agility of a jump

لَم يُبقِ نَصّي مِن عَريكَتِها

لَم يُبقِ نَصّي مِن عَريكَتِها

شَرَفاً يُجِنُّ سَناسِنَ الصُلبِ

شَرَفاً يُجِنُّ سَناسِنَ الصُلبِ

My hard driving left of her hump

It did not leave any honor of her saddle that would save

no rise to hide the ridges of her spine.

The elite from the grinding of persistent misfortunes

وَمَعاشِرٍ وَدّوا لَوَ انَّ دَمي

وَمَعاشِرٍ وَدّوا لَوَ انَّ دَمي

يُسقَونَهُ مِن غَيرِ ما سَغبِ

يُسقَونَهُ مِن غَيرِ ما سَغبِ

And there were people who wished my blood

And companions who would give their blood to be drank

would be given them to drink, though they had no hunger.

Without any qualms if that would lessen my sorrows

أَلصَقتُ صَحبي مِن هَواكِ بِهِم

أَلصَقتُ صَحبي مِن هَواكِ بِهِم

وَقُلوبُنا تَنزو مِنَ الرُهبِ

وَقُلوبُنا تَنزو مِنَ الرُهبِ

For love of you, I brought my companions close to them,

I stuck my companions with your love binding them

and our hearts leapt with fear.

And our hearts oozing with fright and panic

مُتَخَتِّمينَ عَلى مَعارِفَنا

مُتَخَتِّمينَ عَلى مَعارِفَنا

نَثني لَهُنَّ حَواشِيَ العَصبِ

نَثني لَهُنَّ حَواشِيَ العَصبِ

With the features of our faces veiled,

Sealing our friendships away from prying eyes

we folded over them the edges of striped cloth.

We bend aside for them the edges of the turbans

وَعَلى الشَمائِلِ أَن يُهاجَ بِنا

وَعَلى الشَمائِلِ أَن يُهاجَ بِنا

جُربانُ كُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ عَضبِ

جُربانُ كُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ عَضبِ

And at our left sides, should we be attacked,

And the traits so we are not provoked by

were the scabbards of every keen Indian-steel sword.

Every angry and wrathful slanderer

وَتَرى المَخافَةَ مِن مَساكِنِهِم

وَتَرى المَخافَةَ مِن مَساكِنِهِم

بِجُنوبِنا كَجَوانِبِ النُكبِ

بِجُنوبِنا كَجَوانِبِ النُكبِ

And you see the fear from their dwellings

You see the fear from their dwellings on

along our flanks, like crosswinds striking from the sides.

Our sides like the sides of a stray camel

وَلَقَد مَطَوتُ إِلَيكَ مِن بَلَدٍ

وَلَقَد مَطَوتُ إِلَيكَ مِن بَلَدٍ

نائي المَزارَ بِأَينُقٍ حُدبِ

نائي المَزارَ بِأَينُقٍ حُدبِ

And indeed I journeyed toward you from a land

And I have indeed journeyed to you from a distant land

far to reach, on arched-backed she-camels,

With beautiful, humped she-camels heading to the shrine

مُتَواتِراتٍ بِالإِكامِ إِذا

مُتَواتِراتٍ بِالإِكامِ إِذا

جَلَفَ العَزازَ جَوالِبُ النُكبِ

جَلَفَ العَزازَ جَوالِبُ النُكبِ

following one another over the hillocks, when

Continuously travelling when the violent sandstorms

the sweeping crosswinds stripped the hard ground bare.

Slap the straying camels with strong wings

وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ قَطاً يُصَفِّقُهُ

وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ قَطاً يُصَفِّقُهُ

خُرُقُ الرِياحِ بِنَفنَفٍ رَحبِ

خُرُقُ الرِياحِ بِنَفنَفٍ رَحبِ

And they seemed like sandgrouse buffeted

As if they were cats blown by the winds

by fierce winds in a wide, open expanse.

With slaps of vast wings

قَطَرِيَّةٌ وَخِلالُها مَهرِيَّةٌ

قَطَرِيَّةٌ وَخِلالُها مَهرِيَّةٌ

مِن عِندِ ذاتِ سَوالِفٍ غُلبِ

مِن عِندِ ذاتِ سَوالِفٍ غُلبِ

Qatari camels, with Mahri camels among them,

Qatari she-camels with amongst them Mahri she-camels

from among those with thick, massive necks.

From the side of an owner of tired she-camels

خوصٌ نَواهِزُ بِالسُدوسِ إِذا

خوصٌ نَواهِزُ بِالسُدوسِ إِذا

ضَمَّ الحُداةُ جَوانِبَ الرَكبِ

ضَمَّ الحُداةُ جَوانِبَ الرَكبِ

Narrow-eyed, surging beneath shawl-cloths, when

Arrogant she-camels that alarm with bells when

the camel-drivers gathered the caravan's flanks.

The guides gather the sides of the riding party

حَتّى أُنِخنَ إِلى اِبنِ أَكرَمِهِم

حَتّى أُنِخنَ إِلى اِبنِ أَكرَمِهِم

حَسَباً وَهُنَّ كَمُنجِزِ النَحبِ

حَسَباً وَهُنَّ كَمُنجِزِ النَحبِ

Until they were made to kneel beside the son of their noblest

Until I arrived at the son of their most generous man

in ancestral honor, and they were like one who has fulfilled his vow.

In lineage, and they are like fulfilling a promise

فَوَضَعنَ أَزفَلَةً وَرَدنَ بِها

فَوَضَعنَ أَزفَلَةً وَرَدنَ بِها

بَحراً خَسيفاً طَيِّبَ الشُربِ

بَحراً خَسيفاً طَيِّبَ الشُربِ

Then they set down a throng they had brought to

So he made hospitality by welcoming us

a deep sea, sweet to drink.

With a fresh sea, pleasant to drink from

وَإِذا تَغَوَّلَتِ البِلادُ بِنا

وَإِذا تَغَوَّلَتِ البِلادُ بِنا

مَنَّيتُهُ وَفِعالُهُ صَحبي

مَنَّيتُهُ وَفِعالُهُ صَحبي

And when the lands played the ghoul with us,

And when the countries ignored us, I wished him well

I cheered my companions with hope of him and his deeds.

And his actions were that of a companion

أَسَعيدُ إِنَّكَ في قُرَيشٍ كُلِّها

أَسَعيدُ إِنَّكَ في قُرَيشٍ كُلِّها

شَرَفُ السَنامِ وَمَوضِعُ القَلبِ

شَرَفُ السَنامِ وَمَوضِعُ القَلبِ

O Sa'id, among all Quraysh you are

I am happy that among all of Quraysh, you

the crest of the hump and the seat of the heart.

Are the glory of the idols and the object of hearts

مُتَحَلِّبُ الكَفَينِ غَيرُ عَصِيِّهِ

مُتَحَلِّبُ الكَفَينِ غَيرُ عَصِيِّهِ

ضَيقٍ مَحَلَّتُهُ وَلا جَدبِ

ضَيقٍ مَحَلَّتُهُ وَلا جَدبِ

His two palms stream like milk; he is not thwarted

Smooth handed, not disobedient or stubborn

by straitness at his dwelling, nor by drought.

Straightened after destitution and drought

أَلأَوبُ أَوبُ نَعائِمٍ قَطَرِيَّةٍ

أَلأَوبُ أَوبُ نَعائِمٍ قَطَرِيَّةٍ

وَالأَلُّ أَلُّ نَحائِصٍ حُقبِ

وَالأَلُّ أَلُّ نَحائِصٍ حُقبِ

The stride is the stride of Qatari ostriches,

Alas! Alas! The pleasures of Qatari she-camels

and the rush the rush of lean, white-flanked wild she-asses.

And oh! The soreness of persistent misfortunes