أَظُعنٌ بِصَحراءِ الغَبيطَينِ أَم نَخلُ

أَظُعنٌ بِصَحراءِ الغَبيطَينِ أَم نَخلُ

بَدَت لَكَ أَم دَومٌ بِأَكمامِها حَملُ

بَدَت لَكَ أَم دَومٌ بِأَكمامِها حَملُ

Are those women's litters in the desert of al-Ghabīṭayn, or date palms

Do I see a fox in the wilderness of Al-Ghabiṭayn or is it a palm tree

that have appeared to you—or doum palms with fruit in their sheaths?

That appears to you, or tents with their garments like camel litters

فَإِلّا أَمُت أَجعَل لِنَفرٍ قِلادَةً

فَإِلّا أَمُت أَجعَل لِنَفرٍ قِلادَةً

يُتِمُّ بِها نَفرٌ قَلائِدَهُ قَبلُ

يُتِمُّ بِها نَفرٌ قَلائِدَهُ قَبلُ

So, if I do not die, I shall make Nafr a necklace,

Else I would make for some people a necklace

with which Nafr will complete his earlier necklaces.

With which a group of people would complete their necklaces

وَلَو كُنتَ سَيفاً كانَ أَثرُكَ جُعرَةً

وَلَو كُنتَ سَيفاً كانَ أَثرُكَ جُعرَةً

وَكُنتَ دَداناً لا يُغيِّرُكَ الصَقلُ

وَكُنتَ دَداناً لا يُغيِّرُكَ الصَقلُ

And were you a sword, your blade's pattern would be a lump of dung,

And if you were a sword, your effect would be a skin disease

and you would be blunt: polishing would not change you.

And if you were a worm, polishing would not change you

وَلَو كُنتَ سهماً كُنتَ أَفوَقَ ناصِل

وَلَو كُنتَ سهماً كُنتَ أَفوَقَ ناصِل

لَهُ قُذَذٌ لُغبٌ وَلَيسَ لَهُ نَصلُ

لَهُ قُذَذٌ لُغبٌ وَلَيسَ لَهُ نَصلُ

And were you an arrow, you would be broken-nocked and headless,

And if you were an arrow, you would surpass a piercing one

with ill-matched fletching, and no arrowhead.

It has lichen and down but no arrowhead