أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَمرَ بنَ هِندٍ

أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَمرَ بنَ هِندٍ

وَقَد لا تُعَدُم الحَسناءُ ذاما

وَقَد لا تُعَدُم الحَسناءُ ذاما

Ah, who will bring word to Amr son of Hind—

Oh to the one who informs 'Amr ibn Hind

and even a beautiful woman may have a detractor—

The fair maid will not lack a suitor

كَما أَخرَجتَنا مِن أرضِ صدقٍ

كَما أَخرَجتَنا مِن أرضِ صدقٍ

تَرى فيها لِمُغتَبطٍ مَقاما

تَرى فيها لِمُغتَبطٍ مَقاما

as you drove us out of a goodly land,

Just as you led us out from the land of truthfulness

where you see a dwelling for one who is content,

Where the joyous find a dwelling place

كَما قالَت فَتاةُ الحَيَّ لَمّا

كَما قالَت فَتاةُ الحَيَّ لَمّا

أَحَسَّ جَنانُها جَيشاً لُهاما

أَحَسَّ جَنانُها جَيشاً لُهاما

as the maiden of the clan said, when

Just as the girl of the tribe said when

her heart sensed a vast army,

Her soul felt an overwhelming army

لِوالِدِها وَأَرأَتهُ بِلَيلٍ

لِوالِدِها وَأَرأَتهُ بِلَيلٍ

قَطاً وَلَقَلَّ ما يَسري ظَلاما

قَطاً وَلَقَلَّ ما يَسري ظَلاما

to her father, showing him by night

To her father at night she showed

sandgrouse—and seldom do they travel in darkness—

A tomcat though the darkness hid its flow

أَلَستَ تَرى القَطا مُتَواتِراتٍ

أَلَستَ تَرى القَطا مُتَواتِراتٍ

وَلَو تُرِكَ القَطا أَغفى وَناما

وَلَو تُرِكَ القَطا أَغفى وَناما

“Do you not see the sandgrouse coming one after another?

Can't you see the succession of cats

And had the sandgrouse been left alone, they would have dozed and slept.”

Even if left alone they'd sleepily dream