وَلَمّا وَرَدنا ماءَ بيشَةَ لَم يَكُن

وَلَمّا وَرَدنا ماءَ بيشَةَ لَم يَكُن

تَكَدَّرَ إِلّا مِن دِماءِ التَرائِبِ

تَكَدَّرَ إِلّا مِن دِماءِ التَرائِبِ

And when we reached the water of Bisha, it had not

When we arrived at Bishah's watering place, it was roiled

grown murky except from the blood of chests.

Only by blood of slain camels' foals,

سَقَينا عِتاقَ الخَيلِ مِنهُ فَلَم تَذُق

سَقَينا عِتاقَ الخَيلِ مِنهُ فَلَم تَذُق

سِوى مَذقَةٍ لَم تَروِ غُلَّةَ شارِبِ

سِوى مَذقَةٍ لَم تَروِ غُلَّةَ شارِبِ

We watered the purebred horses from it, but they tasted nothing

We let our well-trained horses drink of it; they tasted nothing

but a sip that did not quench a drinker’s burning thirst.

But a draught undiluted by any other drinker.