وَأَحمى عَلَيها اِبنا يَزيدِ بنِ مُسهِرٍ

وَأَحمى عَلَيها اِبنا يَزيدِ بنِ مُسهِرٍ

بِبَطنِ المَراضِ كُلَّ حَسيٍ وَساجِرِ

بِبَطنِ المَراضِ كُلَّ حَسيٍ وَساجِرِ

And the two sons of Yazid ibn Mus-hir barred them

And Ibn Yazeed bin Musheer protected it

From every seep-well and brimming pool in the bed of al-Marad.

With the bellies of the sick, every Hasay and Saajir

فَصَدَّ بَها عَن ثادِقٍ وَحِسابِهِ

فَصَدَّ بَها عَن ثادِقٍ وَحِسابِهِ

وَصَدَّ بِها عَن ماءِ ذاتِ العَشائِرِ

وَصَدَّ بِها عَن ماءِ ذاتِ العَشائِرِ

So he turned them from Thadiq and its Hisab,

So he blocked it from Thadiq and its youths

And turned them from the water of Dhat al-Asha'ir.

And with it he blocked it from the water of Dhaat Al-Ashaa'ir

تَزاوَرُ عَن ماءِ الأَساوِدِ أَن رَأَت

تَزاوَرُ عَن ماءِ الأَساوِدِ أَن رَأَت

بِهِ رامِياً يَعتامُ رَقعَ الخَواصِرِ

بِهِ رامِياً يَعتامُ رَقعَ الخَواصِرِ

They veer from the water of al-Asawid because they saw

It moves away from the water of Al-Aswad when it saw

An archer there selecting spots on the flanks.

In it an archer wrapping the loins

تَذَكَّرنَ مِن وادي طُوالَةَ مَشرَباً

تَذَكَّرنَ مِن وادي طُوالَةَ مَشرَباً

رَوِيّاً وَقَد قَلَّت مِياهُ المَحاجِرِ

رَوِيّاً وَقَد قَلَّت مِياهُ المَحاجِرِ

They recalled a drinking-place in the valley of Tuwalah,

They remembered from Wadi Toolah a watering place

Rich in water, though the waters of the rocky basins had dwindled.

Quenching though the waters of springs have dwindled

فَجالَ بِها مِن خيفَةِ المَوتِ والِهاً

فَجالَ بِها مِن خيفَةِ المَوتِ والِهاً

وَبادَرَها الخَلّاتِ أَيَّ مُبادِرِ

وَبادَرَها الخَلّاتِ أَيَّ مُبادِرِ

So he roamed with them, distraught with fear of death,

So it saved him from the deathly sickness and inspired him

And raced them to the sandy passes—what a racer!

And it preceded him, which of the predecessors!

يَزُرُّ القَطا مِنها وَيُضرَبُ وَجهُهُ

يَزُرُّ القَطا مِنها وَيُضرَبُ وَجهُهُ

بِمُختَلِفاتٍ كَالقِسِيِّ النَواتِرِ

بِمُختَلِفاتٍ كَالقِسِيِّ النَواتِرِ

He drives the sandgrouse from it, while his face is struck

The wild cats scratch it and its face is struck

By swinging strands like bows that spring back,

With different colored fragments like piercing bullets

مَضَرَّجَةً مِن كُلِّ عَجلى كَأَنَّها

مَضَرَّجَةً مِن كُلِّ عَجلى كَأَنَّها

ذَوائِبُ مِمراحٍ نَفوجِ الغَدائِرِ

ذَوائِبُ مِمراحٍ نَفوجِ الغَدائِرِ

Red-stained, from each swift one, as though they were

Stained from every haste as if it were

The locks of a playful woman with billowing braids.

The braids of an excited she-camel, a troop of wanderers

إِذا نَفَّزوها بِالأَباهيمِ جَرجَرَت

إِذا نَفَّزوها بِالأَباهيمِ جَرجَرَت

عَجيجَ الرَوايا مِن عُروكِ الكَراكِرِ

عَجيجَ الرَوايا مِن عُروكِ الكَراكِرِ

When they jerk them with their thumbs, they rumble

When they startle it with cries it writhes

Like water-camels bellowing as their breast-pads are rubbed.

The writhing of the narrator from the knots of diseases

إِذا جاءَ عالاها عَلى ظَهرِ شَرجِعٍ

إِذا جاءَ عالاها عَلى ظَهرِ شَرجِعٍ

كَمُرتَفَقِ الحَسناءِ ذاتِ الجَبائِرِ

كَمُرتَفَقِ الحَسناءِ ذاتِ الجَبائِرِ

When he comes, he lifts them onto the back of a long frame,

When its herder comes to it on the back of Sharjea`

Like the elbow-rest of a beauty wearing bracelets.

Like a pretty girl with braids