سَقىmay it water شُعَبَthe ravines of المَمدورِal-Mamdūr ياO أُمَّmother of جَحدَرٍJaḥdar
سَقى شُعَبَ المَمدورِ يا أُمَّ جَحدَرٍ
وَلازالَand may never cease يُسقىto be watered سِدرُهُits lote trees وَغُرانِقُهand its tender reeds
وَلازالَ يُسقى سِدرُهُ وَغُرانِقُه
May al-Mamdūr’s ravines be watered, O Umm Jaḥdar,
He watered the rounded hills, O mother of ruggedness
and may its lote trees and tender reeds always be watered,
And his lote-trees are still watered and his slender date-palms
أَحَمُّa black cloud جَماديٌّof Jumādā تَهَلَلَflashed موصِلاًraining continuously
أَحَمُّ جَماديٌّ تَهَلَلَ موصِلاً
تُشَقِّقُsplit أَعرافَthe crests of السَّحابِthe clouds بَوارِقُهits lightning flashes
تُشَقِّقُ أَعرافَ السَّحابِ بَوارِقُه
by a black Jumādā cloud, flashing and raining without pause,
A roaring, thunderous cloud rejoiced as it arrived
whose lightning flashes split the crests of the clouds.
Its lightnings cleave the clouds' thickets
نَصَبتُI directed لَهُtoward it وَجهيmy face وَأَصهَبَand a tawny camel ضامِراًlean
نَصَبتُ لَهُ وَجهي وَأَصهَبَ ضامِراً
قَدِalready إِبيَضَّhad turned white مِنfrom كَرِّthe repeated chafing of النُسّوعِthe girth straps سَلائِقُهits sides
قَدِ إِبيَضَّ مِن كَرِّ النُسّوعِ سَلائِقُه
Toward it I turned my face and a lean, tawny camel,
I set my face toward it as it came roaring
whose sides had whitened from the girth straps’ repeated chafing.
Its front already whitened by the pollen of date clusters