لِمَنْ دِمْنَةٌ أَقْفَرَتْ بِالْجَنابِ

لِمَنْ دِمْنَةٌ أَقْفَرَتْ بِالْجَنابِ

إِلَى السَّفْحِ بَيْنَ الْمَلا فَالْهِضابِ

إِلَى السَّفْحِ بَيْنَ الْمَلا فَالْهِضابِ

Whose ruined campsite lies deserted at al-Janab,

For whom is a desolate abode in the desert,

stretching to the mountain foot, between al-Mala and the uplands?

Down the slopes between dunes and plateaus,

بَكَيْتَ لِعِرْفانِ آياتِها

بَكَيْتَ لِعِرْفانِ آياتِها

وَهاجَ لَكَ الشَّوْقَ نَعْبُ الْغُرابِ

وَهاجَ لَكَ الشَّوْقَ نَعْبُ الْغُرابِ

You wept on recognizing its traces,

You wept recognizing its traces,

and the raven's caw stirred longing in you.

And yearning stirred in you like the crying of a raven,

فَأَبْلِغْ لَدَيْكَ بَنِي مالِكٍ

فَأَبْلِغْ لَدَيْكَ بَنِي مالِكٍ

مُغَلْغَلَةً وَسَراةَ الرِّبابِ

مُغَلْغَلَةً وَسَراةَ الرِّبابِ

So convey to Banu Malik there with you

Send word when you are among the tribe of Malik,

a far-carried message—and to the chiefs of al-Ribab:

Fettered and with flasks of wine,

فَإِنَّ امْرَأً أَنْتُمُ حَوْلَهُ

فَإِنَّ امْرَأً أَنْتُمُ حَوْلَهُ

تَحُفُّونَ قُبَّتَهُ بِالْقِبابِ

تَحُفُّونَ قُبَّتَهُ بِالْقِبابِ

For a man around whom you gather,

That you are a people rallied around a man

surrounding his domed tent with domed tents,

Sheltering his tent with canopies,

يُهِينُ سَراتَكُمُ عامِداً

يُهِينُ سَراتَكُمُ عامِداً

وَيَقْتُلُكُمْ مِثْلَ قَتْلِ الْكِلابِ

وَيَقْتُلُكُمْ مِثْلَ قَتْلِ الْكِلابِ

deliberately humiliates your chiefs

Who scorns your horsemen resolutely

and kills you as dogs are killed.

And kills you like the killing of dogs,

فَلَوْ كُنُتْمُ إِبِلاً أَمْلَحَتْ

فَلَوْ كُنُتْمُ إِبِلاً أَمْلَحَتْ

لَقَدْ نَزَعَتْ لِلْمِياهِ الْعِذابِ

لَقَدْ نَزَعَتْ لِلْمِياهِ الْعِذابِ

Had you been camels that grazed on salt plants,

If you were camels gone astray,

they would surely have yearned for sweet waters.

You would hasten to the water springs,

وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غَنَمٌ تُصْطَفَى

وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غَنَمٌ تُصْطَفَى

وَيُتْرَكُ سائِرُها لِلذِّئابِ

وَيُتْرَكُ سائِرُها لِلذِّئابِ

But you are sheep that are picked out,

But you are sheep to be herded

and the rest are left to the wolves.

While the rest are left to the wolves,

لَعَمْرُ أَبِيكَ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ ما

لَعَمْرُ أَبِيكَ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ ما

أَرَدْتُ بِقَتْلِهِمُ مِنْ صَوابِ

أَرَدْتُ بِقَتْلِهِمُ مِنْ صَوابِ

By your father Abu al-Khayr's life, no

By the life of your father, my father of goodness!

good did I intend by killing them,

In killing them I intended no right,

ولا نِعْمَةٍ إِنَّ خَيْرَ الْمُلُو

ولا نِعْمَةٍ إِنَّ خَيْرَ الْمُلُو

كِ أَفْضَلُهُمْ نِعْمَةً فِي الرِّقابِ

كِ أَفْضَلُهُمْ نِعْمَةً فِي الرِّقابِ

nor any favor; indeed, the best of kings

Nor any favor - the best of kings

are those who show the greatest kindness to men's necks.

Is he of greatest favor upon his subjects.