باتَتspent the night قَلوصيmy young she-camel بِالحِجازِin the Hijaz مُناخَةًkneeling
باتَت قَلوصي بِالحِجازِ مُناخَةً
إِذاwhenever سَمِعَتshe heard صَوتَthe voice of المُهَرِّجِthe noisy driver راعَهاit frightened her
إِذا سَمِعَت صَوتَ المُهَرِّجِ راعَها
My young she-camel spent the night kneeling in the Hijaz.
My she-camel spent the night kneeling in Hejaz
Whenever she heard the noisy driver's voice, it frightened her.
Whenever she hears the muharrij's voice she startles
إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle حَبَتshe crept مِنtoward آخِرِthe end of اللَيلِthe night حَبوَةًa short crawl
إِذا ما حَبَت مِن آخِرِ اللَيلِ حَبوَةً
ضَرَبتُI struck بِمَلوِيٍّwith a twisted whip مِنfrom اخرَىthe farther side ذِراعَهاher foreleg
ضَرَبتُ بِمَلوِيٍّ مِن اخرَى ذِراعَها
Whenever she crept a little toward the end of the night,
If she yearns for the end of night, she takes a mouthful
I struck her foreleg from behind with a twisted whip.
I strike her shoulder with my whip from another
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَتhas learned نَخليmy date palms بِأَحوَسَat Aḥwas أَنَّنيthat I
وَقَد عَلِمَت نَخلي بِأَحوَسَ أَنَّني
أَقِلُّI make infrequent وَإِنand even though كانَتit was تِلاديmy ancestral property اِطِّلاعَهاvisits to it
أَقِلُّ وَإِن كانَت تِلادي اِطِّلاعَها
And my palm grove at Aḥwas has learned that I
And my palm trees know that I own little land in Ahwas
seldom visit it, though it is my ancestral property.
Though they know all the places I take her to pasture
سَأُرضيI shall satisfy أَباAbū (father of) بِشرٍBishr بِهاwith it وَاِبنَand Ibn (son of) مُحجَنٍMuḥjan
سَأُرضي أَبا بِشرٍ بِها وَاِبنَ مُحجَنٍ
هُماboth of them يَعلَمانِknow دَرءَهاits crookedness وَرُداعَهاand its curbing
هُما يَعلَمانِ دَرءَها وَرُداعَها
I shall satisfy Abū Bishr and Ibn Muḥjan with it;
I will please Abu Bishr and the son of Muhijan with her
both know its waywardness and how to curb it.
They both know how to restrain her and hobble her
وَماand not إِنemphatic particle تَحِلُّis lawful لِامرِئٍfor a man ذيpossessing قَرابَةٍkinship
وَما إِن تَحِلُّ لِامرِئٍ ذي قَرابَةٍ
تِلادُancestral property اِبنِof a son عَمٍّof a paternal uncle أَنthat يَكونَhe should have أَضاعَهاneglected it
تِلادُ اِبنِ عَمٍّ أَن يَكونَ أَضاعَها
Nor is a kinsman entitled
A kinsman cannot rightly take the son of an uncle’s wealth
to a cousin's ancestral property merely because he has neglected it.
Except out of poverty and because he needs it
هِيَit المالُwealth إِلّاexcept for قِلَّةَthe sparseness of وَسنطَهاits center
هِيَ المالُ إِلّا قِلَّةَ وَسنطَها
فَمَنso whoever ضَنَّis miserly قاساهاendures its hardships وَمَنand whoever مَلَّgrows weary باعَهاsells it
فَمَن ضَنَّ قاساها وَمَن مَلَّ باعَها
It is wealth, save for the sparseness of its center;
He who is miserly will be punished for it and he who takes it unjustly will sell it
so whoever begrudges parting with it endures its hardships, and whoever tires of it sells it.
Whenever she desires to climb up the hill
وَكانَتand it was متىwhenever تَهوىdesires مِنَof الأَرضِthe land تَلعَةًa gully
وَكانَت متى تَهوى مِنَ الأَرضِ تَلعَةً
عَصَتdisobeyed رَبَّهاits master فيin أَمرِهاits affairs وَأَطاعَهاand he obeyed it
عَصَت رَبَّها في أَمرِها وَأَطاعَها
And whenever it desired a gully in the land,
She disobeys her Lord in her affair and obeys her
it disobeyed its master in its own affairs, and he obeyed it.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.