أَلَمَّ خَيالٌ مَوهِناً مِن تُماضِرا

أَلَمَّ خَيالٌ مَوهِناً مِن تُماضِرا

هُدُوّاً وَلَم يَطرُق مِنَ اللَيلِ باكِرا

هُدُوّاً وَلَم يَطرُق مِنَ اللَيلِ باكِرا

A phantom of Tumadir visited late at night,

A vision brought me low from Tumadhir,

in the stillness, not coming early in the night.

Seeking refuge, though no early night had come.

وَكانَ إِذا ما اِلتَمَّ مِنها بِحاجَةٍ

وَكانَ إِذا ما اِلتَمَّ مِنها بِحاجَةٍ

يُراجِعُ هِتراً مِن تُماضِرَ هاتِرا

يُراجِعُ هِتراً مِن تُماضِرَ هاتِرا

And whenever he came seeking something from her,

Whenever it had need of anything from them,

he would receive sheer nonsense in reply from Tumadir.

It would go back, from Tumadhir, in retreat.

وَفِتيانُ صِدقٍ لا تَخُمُّ لِحامُهُم

وَفِتيانُ صِدقٍ لا تَخُمُّ لِحامُهُم

إِذا شُبِّهَ النَجمُ الصُوارَ النَوافِرا

إِذا شُبِّهَ النَجمُ الصُوارَ النَوافِرا

And true-hearted young men, whose meat never spoils,

And truthful young men whose resolve does not waver,

when the Pleiades are likened to fleeing herds of wild cattle,

When the bright star is likened to the shining ones.

وَأَيسارَ لُقمانَ بنِ عادٍ سَماحَةً

وَأَيسارَ لُقمانَ بنِ عادٍ سَماحَةً

وَجوداً إِذا ما الشَولُ أَمسَت جَرائِرا

وَجوداً إِذا ما الشَولُ أَمسَت جَرائِرا

and gamblers like Luqman son of ‘Ad’s in open-handedness,

And the generosity of Luqman son of 'Aad is bounty,

and bounty, when the milkless she-camels become burdens at evening.

And munificence, when the paths are hazardous and perilous.