أَرضُthe land of الشَرَبَّةِal-Sharabbah شِعبٌa ravine وَواديand a valley
أَرضُ الشَرَبَّةِ شِعبٌ وَوادي
رَحَلتُI departed وَأَهلُهاand its people فيin فُؤاديmy heart
رَحَلتُ وَأَهلُها في فُؤادي
The land of al-Sharabbah is a ravine and a valley.
The land of drinking is hills and valleys
I departed, with its people still in my heart.
I traveled and its people are in my heart
يُحَلّونَthey dwell فيهِin it وَفيand in ناظِريmy eye
يُحَلّونَ فيهِ وَفي ناظِري
وَإِنand even if أَبعَدواthey go far away فيin مَحَلِّthe place of السَوادِthe pupil's blackness
وَإِن أَبعَدوا في مَحَلِّ السَوادِ
They dwell there and within my eye,
Sweetening there and in my gaze
In its dark pupil, though they have gone far away.
And if they are far in the abode of blackness
إِذاwhen خَفَقَflashes البَرقُthe lightning مِنfrom حَيِّهِمtheir encampment
إِذا خَفَقَ البَرقُ مِن حَيِّهِم
أَرِقتُI lie awake وَبِتُّand I spend the night حَليفَan ally of السُهادِsleeplessness
أَرِقتُ وَبِتُّ حَليفَ السُهادِ
When lightning flashes from their encampment,
When lightning flashes from their neighborhood
I lie awake and spend the night allied to sleeplessness.
I stay up, a friend of wakefulness
وَريحُand the scent of الخُزامىlavender يُذَكِّرُreminds أَنفيmy nose
وَريحُ الخُزامى يُذَكِّرُ أَنفي
نَسيمَthe fragrance of عَذارىmaidens وَذاتِand the lady of الأَياديfavors
نَسيمَ عَذارى وَذاتِ الأَيادي
And the scent of lavender reminds my nose
The wind of autumn reminds my soul
Of the fragrance of maidens and the lady of bounty.
Of the breeze of maidens and gentle hands
أَياO عَبلَAbla مُنّيbestow graciously بِطَيفِwith a phantom of الخَيالِimagination
أَيا عَبلَ مُنّي بِطَيفِ الخَيالِ
عَلىupon المُستَهامِthe lovesick one وَطيبِand the sweetness of الرُقادِsleep
عَلى المُستَهامِ وَطيبِ الرُقادِ
O Abla, bestow a dream-vision
Oh camel that carries me with the specter of imagination
Upon the lovesick one, and sweet repose.
Upon the determined and the good sleep
عَسىperhaps نَظرَةٌa glance مِنكِfrom you تَحياcomes to life بِهاthrough it
عَسى نَظرَةٌ مِنكِ تَحيا بِها
حُشاشَةُthe last remnant of life مَيتِone dead from الجَفاestrangement وَالبِعادِand separation
حُشاشَةُ مَيتِ الجَفا وَالبِعادِ
Perhaps a glance from you will revive
Maybe a glance from you will revive
The last spark of life in one slain by estrangement and separation.
The liveliness of one dead from estrangement and distance
أَياO عَبلَAbla ماnot كُنتُI would be لَولاwere it not for هَواكِlove for you
أَيا عَبلَ ما كُنتُ لَولا هَواكِ
قَليلَfew in الصَديقِfriends كَثيرَmany in الأَعاديenemies
قَليلَ الصَديقِ كَثيرَ الأَعادي
O Abla, but for my love of you, I would not be
Oh camel what I was without your love
One with few friends and many enemies.
Of few friends and many enemies
وَحَقِّكَand by your honor لاmay it not زالَcease to be ظَهرُthe back of الجَوادِthe steed
وَحَقِّكَ لا زالَ ظَهرُ الجَوادِ
مَقيليmy midday resting place وَسَيفيand my sword وَدِرعيand my armor وِساديmy pillow
مَقيلي وَسَيفي وَدِرعي وِسادي
And by your honor, may the steed's back always remain
And by your right the back of the steed remains
My midday resting place, and my sword and armor my pillow,
My shelter, my sword, my armor and my pillow
إِلىuntil أَنthat أَدوسُI trample بِلادَthe lands of العِراقِIraq
إِلى أَن أَدوسُ بِلادَ العِراقِ
وَأُفنيand I annihilate حَواضِرَهاits towns وَالبَواديand the desert lands
وَأُفني حَواضِرَها وَالبَوادي
Until I trample the lands of Iraq
Until I trample the lands of Iraq
And destroy its towns and desert lands.
And destroy its settlements and deserts
إِذاwhen قامَis established سوقٌa market لِبَيعِfor selling النُفوسِsouls
إِذا قامَ سوقٌ لِبَيعِ النُفوسِ
وَنادىand calls out وَأَعلَنَand proclaims فيهِin it المُناديthe crier
وَنادى وَأَعلَنَ فيهِ المُنادي
When a market is established for selling souls,
When a market is held for the sale of souls
And the crier calls out and proclaims within it,
And a caller calls out and announces in it
وَأَقبَلَتِand advances الخَيلُthe cavalry تَحتَbeneath الغُبارِthe dust
وَأَقبَلَتِ الخَيلُ تَحتَ الغُبارِ
بِوَقعِwith the clash of الرِماحِspears وَضَربِand the blows of الحِدادِsharp blades
بِوَقعِ الرِماحِ وَضَربِ الحِدادِ
And the cavalry advances beneath the dust,
And the horses come under the dust
With clashing spears and blows of sharp blades,
With the striking of spears and the pounding of anvils
هُنالِكَthere أَصدِمُI charge into فُرسانَهاits horsemen
هُنالِكَ أَصدِمُ فُرسانَها
فَتَرجِعُso it retreats مَخذولَةًdefeated كَالعِمادِlike pillars
فَتَرجِعُ مَخذولَةً كَالعِمادِ
There I charge into its horsemen,
There I will clash with its horsemen
So it retreats, defeated, like pillars.
So they return defeated like pillars
وَأَرجِعُand I return وَالنوقُand the she-camels مَوقورَةٌheavily laden
وَأَرجِعُ وَالنوقُ مَوقورَةٌ
تَسيرُthey travel الهُوَينىat a gentle pace وَشَيبوبُand Shaybub حاديa camel-driver
تَسيرُ الهُوَينى وَشَيبوبُ حادي
And I return, with the she-camels heavily laden,
And I will return while the she-camels walk proudly
Moving at a gentle pace, with Shaybub their camel-driver.
Going smoothly, Sheyboub leading
وَتَسهَرُand stay awake ليon my account أَعيُنُthe eyes of الحاسِدينَthe envious
وَتَسهَرُ لي أَعيُنُ الحاسِدينَ
وَتَرقُدُand sleep أَعيُنُthe eyes of أَهلِthe people of الوِدادِaffection
وَتَرقُدُ أَعيُنُ أَهلِ الوِدادِ
And the eyes of the envious stay awake because of me,
And the eyes of enviers stay awake for me
And the eyes of those who love me sleep.
While the eyes of friends sleep