اربِع عَلَينا قَليلاً أَيُّها الحادي

اربِع عَلَينا قَليلاً أَيُّها الحادي

قَلَّ الثَواءُ إِذا نَزَّعتُ أَوتادي

قَلَّ الثَواءُ إِذا نَزَّعتُ أَوتادي

Slow down for us a little, O camel-driver;

Rest a little while, O guide,

the stay is brief once I pull up my tent pegs.

The tent-pegs slip when I pull them up.

إِنّي اذا الجارُ لَم تُحفَظ مَحارُمُهُ

إِنّي اذا الجارُ لَم تُحفَظ مَحارُمُهُ

وَلَم يُقَل دونَه هَيدٍ وَلا هادِ

وَلَم يُقَل دونَه هَيدٍ وَلا هادِ

Indeed I, when a neighbor's inviolable rights go unguarded,

If a neighbor does not guard his honor,

and neither 'Hold!' nor 'Halt!' is cried in his defense,

he is not worth a tent-peg or a guide-rope,

لا أَخذُلُ الجارَ بَل أَحمي مَباءَتَهُ

لا أَخذُلُ الجارَ بَل أَحمي مَباءَتَهُ

وَلَيسَ جاري كَعُشٍّ بَينَ أَعوادِ

وَلَيسَ جاري كَعُشٍّ بَينَ أَعوادِ

do not forsake the neighbor, but protect his dwelling;

I do not fail my neighbor but protect his honor,

and my neighbor is not like a nest among sticks.

My neighbor is not like a tent between tent-pegs.

ثُمَّ اِستَقامَت لَهُ الأَعناقُ طائِعَةً

ثُمَّ اِستَقامَت لَهُ الأَعناقُ طائِعَةً

فَما يُقالُ لَهُ هَيدِ وَلا هادِ

فَما يُقالُ لَهُ هَيدِ وَلا هادِ

Then necks fell into line for him, obediently,

Then the necks bowed to him willingly,

so neither 'Hold!' nor 'Halt!' is said to him.

So nothing need be said to guide or warn him.