جاؤوا بِشَهرانِ العَريضَةِ كُلَّها

جاؤوا بِشَهرانِ العَريضَةِ كُلَّها

وَأَكلُبِها ميلادِ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلِ

وَأَكلُبِها ميلادِ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلِ

They came with all of vast Shahran,

They came with the whole of spacious Shahrān,

and its Aklub, offspring of Bakr ibn Wa'il.

And its dogs, born in the season of Bakr son of Wā'il,

وَسَعَّت شُيوخُ الحَيِّ بَينَ سُوَيقَةٍ

وَسَعَّت شُيوخُ الحَيِّ بَينَ سُوَيقَةٍ

وَبَينَ جَنوبِ القَهرِ ميلَ الشَمائِلِ

وَبَينَ جَنوبِ القَهرِ ميلَ الشَمائِلِ

And the clan's elders hurried between Suwayqah

The elders of the clan pitched tents between Suwayqah

and the south of al-Qahr, leaning leftward.

And the southern side of al-Qahr, the inclining sands;

فَلَو كانَ جَمعٌ مِثلُنا لَم يَبُزَّنا

فَلَو كانَ جَمعٌ مِثلُنا لَم يَبُزَّنا

وَلَكِن أَتانا كُلُّ جِنٍّ وَخابِلِ

وَلَكِن أَتانا كُلُّ جِنٍّ وَخابِلِ

Had their host been equal to ours, it would not have bested us;

Had there been a troop the like of us, we'd not been worsted,

but every jinn and maddening spirit came upon us.

But upon us came every accursed devil and outcast;

فَبِتنا وَمَن يَنزِل بِهِ مِثلُ ضَيفِنا

فَبِتنا وَمَن يَنزِل بِهِ مِثلُ ضَيفِنا

يَبِت عَن قِرى أَضيافِهِ غَيرَ غافِلِ

يَبِت عَن قِرى أَضيافِهِ غَيرَ غافِلِ

So we spent the night; and whoever receives a guest like ours

So we spent the night, and he who lodges with a guest like ours

spends the night never neglecting his guests' fare.

Lodges not, forgetful of his guests, away from home.