مَهاريسُ أَشباهٌ كَأَنَّ رُؤوسَها

مَهاريسُ أَشباهٌ كَأَنَّ رُؤوسَها

مَقابِرُ عادٍ جِلَّةُ البَكَراتِ

مَقابِرُ عادٍ جِلَّةُ البَكَراتِ

Massive she-camels, all alike, as though their heads were

Their tents are like the graves of 'Aad, abounding,

the graves of ‘Ad—full-grown young she-camels.

Seeming as though their summits were landmarks coming into sight.

بِها تُتَّقى الأَضيافُ إِن كانَ صَوبُها

بِها تُتَّقى الأَضيافُ إِن كانَ صَوبُها

صَقيعاً عَلى الأَكنافِ وَالحَجَراتِ

صَقيعاً عَلى الأَكنافِ وَالحَجَراتِ

With them guests are provided for if the downpour

By means of them hospitality's duties are performed, if

falls as frost over the surrounding lands and outlying tracts.

Their sides and walls are frozen stiff.

وَما كانَ مِن أَوطانِها دَحلُ مِحجَنٍ

وَما كانَ مِن أَوطانِها دَحلُ مِحجَنٍ

مَقاماً وَلا قَيقاءَةُ الخَبِراتِ

مَقاماً وَلا قَيقاءَةُ الخَبِراتِ

Dahl Mihjan was never among their native haunts,

Not the moved sands amid hollows left by hill-torrents

nor was the hard plain of al-Khabirat their abode.

To stay in forever, nor hillocks blown by the winds.

وَلَن تَحضُرَ الجَرعاءَ تَرعى ثُمامَها

وَلَن تَحضُرَ الجَرعاءَ تَرعى ثُمامَها

وَلا تَرتَعي بِالدَوِّ مِن خَرِباتِ

وَلا تَرتَعي بِالدَوِّ مِن خَرِباتِ

And they will never come to al-Jar‘a’ to graze its thumam grass,

Neither will a pasturing herd of calves come to them,

nor pasture in al-Daww, in Kharibat.

Nor a flock that in ruin feeds on the herb ben weed and thorny plants.

وَلَكِن بِعُثمانِ البَسيطَةِ قَد تَرى

وَلَكِن بِعُثمانِ البَسيطَةِ قَد تَرى

بِها بُدَّناً أَفخاذُها وَفُراتِ

بِها بُدَّناً أَفخاذُها وَفُراتِ

But at ‘Uthman of al-Basita you may see

Rather, by Uthman of the Busati tribe you may see

stout camels there, their thighs well fleshed.

In them excellent camels, their thighs wide apart.

وَقَد كانَ صَحراوا فُلَيجٍ لَها حِمىً

وَقَد كانَ صَحراوا فُلَيجٍ لَها حِمىً

إِذا نَوَّرَ الجَرجارُ بِالكَدَراتِ

إِذا نَوَّرَ الجَرجارُ بِالكَدَراتِ

And the two open plains of Fulayj were their reserved pasture,

A protector once, was he, of unpopulated waterless uplands,

when the jarjar bloomed at al-Kadarat.

Whenever the rainwater gushed down with violence.

مَناعيشُ لِلمَولى الضَريكِ وَلا تُرى

مَناعيشُ لِلمَولى الضَريكِ وَلا تُرى

عَلى الضَيفِ إِلّا باكِرَ الغَدَواتِ

عَلى الضَيفِ إِلّا باكِرَ الغَدَواتِ

They sustain the destitute dependent, and are never seen

Dwellings for the Lord of bounty they are, and you will see

before a guest except at the earliest hour of morning.

Upon the guest naught bestowed save what mornings furnish.

إِذا اِغبَرَّ أَهلُ الشاءِ أَشرَقَ أَهلُها

إِذا اِغبَرَّ أَهلُ الشاءِ أَشرَقَ أَهلُها

وَكانَ لَها فَضلٌ مِنَ الأَدَواتِ

وَكانَ لَها فَضلٌ مِنَ الأَدَواتِ

When sheep-owners grow dust-grey, their owners shine,

When the family of a goat fold move camp the folk of the tents shine forth:

and among useful possessions, theirs is the greater worth.

For them remains a portion of the household goods.