أَلا إِلّا تَكُن إِبِلٌ فَمِعزى

أَلا إِلّا تَكُن إِبِلٌ فَمِعزى

كَأَنَّ قُرونَ جُلَّتِها العِصِيُّ

كَأَنَّ قُرونَ جُلَّتِها العِصِيُّ

Lo! If there are no camels, then there are goats,

Except you be camels, mere goats would do,

whose full-grown ones have horns like staves.

Their horns like reeds cut down when crops renew.

وَجادَ لَها الرَبيعُ بِواقِصاتٍ

وَجادَ لَها الرَبيعُ بِواقِصاتٍ

فَآرامٍ وَجادَ لَها الوَلِيُّ

فَآرامٍ وَجادَ لَها الوَلِيُّ

And spring rain was bountiful to them at Waqisat,

In spring’s rich prime, each dam bursts milk anew

then at Aram; and the rain that followed was bountiful to them.

While noble hands prize what is pure and true.

إِذا مُشَّت حَوالِبُها أَرَنَّت

إِذا مُشَّت حَوالِبُها أَرَنَّت

كَأَنَّ الحَيَّ صَبَّحَهُم نَعِيُّ

كَأَنَّ الحَيَّ صَبَّحَهُم نَعِيُّ

When their udders are squeezed for milk, they bleat,

When udders swell, the tribe at dawn reviews,

as though a bearer of death-tidings had visited the tribe in the morning.

As though gray hairs found youth in morning dew.

تَروحُ كَأَنَّها مِمّا أَصابَت

تَروحُ كَأَنَّها مِمّا أَصابَت

مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِأَحقَيها الدُلِيُّ

مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِأَحقَيها الدُلِيُّ

They return at evening as though, from what they have eaten,

Back from the lush they rove while droplets strew,

buckets were hanging from their flanks.

Pearling their teats with drops of silver hue.

فَتوسِعُ أَهلَها أَقِطاً وَسَمناً

فَتوسِعُ أَهلَها أَقِطاً وَسَمناً

وَحَسبُكَ مِن غِنى شِبعٌ وَرِيُّ

وَحَسبُكَ مِن غِنى شِبعٌ وَرِيُّ

So they supply their owners amply with dried curds and clarified butter,

Thus tribesmen thrive on curds and milk renewed,

and a full belly and quenched thirst are wealth enough for you.

When filled bellies leave minds content and shrewd.