أَلا إِنَّني قَد هاجَني اللَيلَةَ الذِكَر

أَلا إِنَّني قَد هاجَني اللَيلَةَ الذِكَر

وَما ذاكَ مِن حُبِّ النِساءِ وَلا الأَشَر

وَما ذاكَ مِن حُبِّ النِساءِ وَلا الأَشَر

Ah, memories have indeed stirred me tonight.

Alas! Tonight memories have stirred me,

And that is not from love of women, nor from wanton mirth.

Not from love of women or drink –

وَلَكِنَّني مِمّا أَصابَ عَشيرَتي

وَلَكِنَّني مِمّا أَصابَ عَشيرَتي

وَقَومي بِأَقرانٍ حَوالَيهِمِ الصُبَر

وَقَومي بِأَقرانٍ حَوالَيهِمِ الصُبَر

But I am stirred by what befell my clan

But from what has befallen my tribe,

and my people at Aqran, with al-Subar around them,

My steadfast people under duress.

لَيالِيَ نُمسي بَينَ جَوٍّ وَمِسطَحٍ

لَيالِيَ نُمسي بَينَ جَوٍّ وَمِسطَحٍ

نَشاوى لَنا مِن كُلِّ سائِمَةٍ جَزَر

نَشاوى لَنا مِن كُلِّ سائِمَةٍ جَزَر

on nights when we passed the evening between Jaww and Mistah,

On flat land between dunes we camp at night

drunk, with beasts from every grazing herd slaughtered for us.

With meagre provisions from every breeze.

فَيا لَيتَ خَيرَ الناسِ حَيّاً وَمَيِّت

فَيا لَيتَ خَيرَ الناسِ حَيّاً وَمَيِّت

يَقولُ لَنا خَيراً وَيُمضي الَّذي اِئتَمَر

يَقولُ لَنا خَيراً وَيُمضي الَّذي اِئتَمَر

Oh, would that the best of men, living or dead,

Would that the best of men alive or dead

would speak kindly to us and carry out what he resolved.

Might speak good of us and ratify this council.

فَإِن كانَ شَرٌّ فَالعَزاءُ فَإِنَّنا

فَإِن كانَ شَرٌّ فَالعَزاءُ فَإِنَّنا

عَلى وَقَعاتِ الدَهرِ مِن قَبلِها صُبُر

عَلى وَقَعاتِ الدَهرِ مِن قَبلِها صُبُر

If harm comes, then patience—for we

And if it’s bad, there’s consolation, for oft before

have stood firm against time's blows before this.

We’ve endured the blows of fate and remained patient.

سَقى اللَهُ رَبُّ الناسِ سَحّاً وَديمَةً

سَقى اللَهُ رَبُّ الناسِ سَحّاً وَديمَةً

جَنوبَ السَراةِ مِن مَآبٍ إِلى زُغَر

جَنوبَ السَراةِ مِن مَآبٍ إِلى زُغَر

May God, Lord of mankind, water with downpours and steady rain

May God water the land of the tribe copiously,

the south of al-Sarat, from Ma'ab to Zughar—

The south winds over prairies to hillsides,

بِلادَ اِمرِئٍ لا يَعرِفُ الذَمُّ بَيتَهُ

بِلادَ اِمرِئٍ لا يَعرِفُ الذَمُّ بَيتَهُ

لَهُ المَشرَبُ الصافي وَلَيسَ لَهُ الكَدَر

لَهُ المَشرَبُ الصافي وَلَيسَ لَهُ الكَدَر

the lands of a man whose house reproach does not know.

The land of a man who knows no blame in his abode,

His is the clear drinking-place, and none of the murk is his.

Of pure springs – no bitterness for him.

تَذَكَّرتُ مِن وَهمِ بنِ عَمروٍ جَلادَةً

تَذَكَّرتُ مِن وَهمِ بنِ عَمروٍ جَلادَةً

وَجُرأَةَ مَعداهُ إِذا نازِحٌ بَكَر

وَجُرأَةَ مَعداهُ إِذا نازِحٌ بَكَر

I recalled Wahm ibn Amr's fortitude

I recalled the courage of Wahm and his horsemen

and the boldness of his charge when one from afar came early.

When they clashed with a hostile tribe at first light.

فَأَبشِر وَقَرَّ العَينَ مِنكَ فَإِنَّني

فَأَبشِر وَقَرَّ العَينَ مِنكَ فَإِنَّني

أَجيءُ كَريماً لا ضَعيفاً وَلا حَصِر

أَجيءُ كَريماً لا ضَعيفاً وَلا حَصِر

So rejoice, and let your eye rest content, for I

Rejoice! Banish care! For I shall come

come nobly, neither weak nor tongue-tied.

Nobly, neither weak nor bound.