أَرضُ الشَرَبَّةِ تُربُها كَالعَنبَرِ

أَرضُ الشَرَبَّةِ تُربُها كَالعَنبَرِ

وَنَسيمُها يَسري بِمِسكٍ أَذفَرِ

وَنَسيمُها يَسري بِمِسكٍ أَذفَرِ

The land of al-Sharabbah—its soil is like ambergris,

The land of drinking is soil like ambergris

And its breeze wafts with intensely fragrant musk.

And its breeze flows with musk most fragrant

وَقِبابُها تَحوي بُدوراً طُلَّعاً

وَقِبابُها تَحوي بُدوراً طُلَّعاً

مِن كُلِّ فاتِنَةٍ بِطَرفٍ أَحوَرِ

مِن كُلِّ فاتِنَةٍ بِطَرفٍ أَحوَرِ

And its domed tents shelter rising full moons—

And its domes contain round-faced maidens

Enchantresses all, with eyes of striking black and white.

With glances from every coquette most flirtatious

يا عَبلَ حُبُّكِ سالِبٌ أَلبابَنا

يا عَبلَ حُبُّكِ سالِبٌ أَلبابَنا

وَعُقولَنا فَتَعَطَّفي لا تَهجُري

وَعُقولَنا فَتَعَطَّفي لا تَهجُري

O Abla, your love steals our wits

O Abla your love takes our minds

And our reason; so be tender, do not turn away.

And softens our hearts so do not abandon

يا عَبلَ لَولا أَن أَراكِ بِناظِري

يا عَبلَ لَولا أَن أَراكِ بِناظِري

ما كُنتُ أَلقى كُلَّ صَعبٍ مُنكَرِ

ما كُنتُ أَلقى كُلَّ صَعبٍ مُنكَرِ

O Abla, but for seeing you with my own eyes,

O Abla if I did not see you with my eyes

I would not face every dreadful hardship.

I would not undertake every difficult task

يا عَبلَ كَم مِن غَمرَةٍ باشَرتُها

يا عَبلَ كَم مِن غَمرَةٍ باشَرتُها

بِمُثَقَّفٍ صُلبِ القَوائِمِ أَسمَرِ

بِمُثَقَّفٍ صُلبِ القَوائِمِ أَسمَرِ

O Abla, how many a battle's tumult I have braved

O Abla how many harsh battles I engaged

With a straightened brown spear, stout of shaft.

With a seasoned tough-limbed bay steed

فَأَتَيتُها وَالشَمسُ في كَبَدِ السَما

فَأَتَيتُها وَالشَمسُ في كَبَدِ السَما

وَالقَومُ بَينَ مُقَدِّمٍ وَمُؤَخِّرِ

وَالقَومُ بَينَ مُقَدِّمٍ وَمُؤَخِّرِ

Then I came to it, the sun at the heart of the sky,

I came to them as the sun was in mid-sky

And the men, some advancing and some falling back.

The troops between vanguard and rearguard

ضَجّوا فَصُحتُ عَلَيهِمُ فَتَجَمَّعوا

ضَجّوا فَصُحتُ عَلَيهِمُ فَتَجَمَّعوا

وَدَنا إِلَيَّ خَميسُ ذاكَ العَسكَرِ

وَدَنا إِلَيَّ خَميسُ ذاكَ العَسكَرِ

They clamored, so I shouted at them, and they gathered.

They clamored so I cried out against them and they assembled

And the host of that army drew near to me.

And the commander of that army approached me

فَشَكَكتُ هَذا بِالقَنا وَعَلَوتُ ذا

فَشَكَكتُ هَذا بِالقَنا وَعَلَوتُ ذا

مَع ذاكَ بِالذِكَرِ الحُسامِ الأَبتَرِ

مَع ذاكَ بِالذِكَرِ الحُسامِ الأَبتَرِ

Then I pierced this one with spears and struck that one,

So I lunged at this one with my spear and slayed that one

Along with that other, with the stout, keen, severing sword.

With the bare swordblade sharpest and brightest

وَقَصَدتُ قائِدَهُم قَطَعتُ وَريدَهُ

وَقَصَدتُ قائِدَهُم قَطَعتُ وَريدَهُ

وَقَتَلتُ مِنهُم كُلَّ قَرمٍ أَكبَرِ

وَقَتَلتُ مِنهُم كُلَّ قَرمٍ أَكبَرِ

And I made for their commander and cut his jugular vein,

And I charged their leader severed his vein

And slew every mighty champion among them.

And killed every elder of great stature

تَرَكوا اللَبوسَ مَعَ السِلاحِ هَزيمَةً

تَرَكوا اللَبوسَ مَعَ السِلاحِ هَزيمَةً

يَجرونَ في عُرضِ الفَلاةِ المُقفِرِ

يَجرونَ في عُرضِ الفَلاةِ المُقفِرِ

They abandoned their armor and weapons in defeat,

They left armor and weapons routed in retreat

Running across the breadth of the desolate wilderness.

Fleeing in haste across the barren plain

وَنَشَرتُ راياتِ المَذَلَّةِ فَوقَهُم

وَنَشَرتُ راياتِ المَذَلَّةِ فَوقَهُم

وَقَسَمتُ سَلبَهُمُ لِكُلِّ غَضَنفَرِ

وَقَسَمتُ سَلبَهُمُ لِكُلِّ غَضَنفَرِ

And I unfurled the banners of humiliation above them,

And I raised the banners of humiliation over them

And divided their spoils among every lion-hearted warrior.

And divided their plunder for each fierce warrior

وَرَجَعتُ عَنهُم لَم يَكُن قَصدي سِوى

وَرَجَعتُ عَنهُم لَم يَكُن قَصدي سِوى

ذِكرٍ يَدومُ إِلى أَوانِ المَحشَرِ

ذِكرٍ يَدومُ إِلى أَوانِ المَحشَرِ

And I returned from them; my only aim was

Then I left them it was not my aim except

Renown that endures until the time of the Gathering.

For a renown lasting till resurrection day

مَن لَم يَعِش مُتَعَزِّزاً بِسِنانِهِ

مَن لَم يَعِش مُتَعَزِّزاً بِسِنانِهِ

سَيَموتُ مَوتَ الذُلِّ بَينَ المَعشَرِ

سَيَموتُ مَوتَ الذُلِّ بَينَ المَعشَرِ

Whoever does not live gaining honor through his spearhead

He who does not live mighty through his spearhead

Will die a death of humiliation among his fellows.

Will die the death of disgrace amid the throng

لا بُدَّ لِلعُمرِ النَفيسِ مِنَ الفَنا

لا بُدَّ لِلعُمرِ النَفيسِ مِنَ الفَنا

فَاِصرِف زَمانَكَ في الأَعَزِّ الأَفخَرِ

فَاِصرِف زَمانَكَ في الأَعَزِّ الأَفخَرِ

Precious life must inevitably perish,

For a precious life there's no escape from death

So spend your time in what is noblest and most glorious.

So spend your time in the proudest noblest way