أَلا حَيِّ إِذ أَهلي وَأَهلُكَ جيرَةٌ

أَلا حَيِّ إِذ أَهلي وَأَهلُكَ جيرَةٌ

مَحَلّاً بِذاتِ الرَمثِ قَد كانَ يَدرُسُ

مَحَلّاً بِذاتِ الرَمثِ قَد كانَ يَدرُسُ

Ah, greet—when my kin and yours were neighbors—

O friend! Though your family and mine were neighbors

a dwelling at Dhāt al-Ramth whose traces were fading.

In the valley of shifting sands where he used to teach,

وَقَد كانَ لِلبيضِ الرَعابيبِ مَعهَداً

وَقَد كانَ لِلبيضِ الرَعابيبِ مَعهَداً

لَهُ في الصِبا يَومٌ أَغَرُّ وَمَجلِسُ

لَهُ في الصِبا يَومٌ أَغَرُّ وَمَجلِسُ

And once it was a haunt of fair-skinned, delicate women;

And though it was a school for innocent children,

it had, in youth, a radiant day and a gathering-place.

To him its days were the fairest and its councils wisest,

بِهِ حَلَقٌ فيها مِنَ الجوعِ قاتِلٌ

بِهِ حَلَقٌ فيها مِنَ الجوعِ قاتِلٌ

وَمُعتَمَدٌ مِن ذِروَةِ العِزِّ أَقعَسُ

وَمُعتَمَدٌ مِن ذِروَةِ العِزِّ أَقعَسُ

There are gatherings there, with a slayer of hunger among them,

With classes where hunger's pangs were killing,

and an unyielding support from the summit of glory.

And a headmaster who sat enthroned in might supreme.