أَلاَLo! نَادِياcall out, you two رَبْعِيْthe two campsites of كُبَيْشَةَKubaysha باللَّوىat al-Liwā
أَلاَ نَادِيا رَبْعِيْ كُبَيْشَةَ باللَّوى
بِحَاجَةِwith the plea of مَحْزونٍa grieving man وإِنْeven if لَمْnot يُنادِيَاthey both answer
بِحَاجَةِ مَحْزونٍ وإِنْ لَمْ يُنادِيَا
Lo, call, you two, to Kubaysha's two campsites at al-Liwā,
with a grieving man's plea, even though they do not answer.
تَوَضَّحْنَthey gleam فيon عَلياءِthe high ground of قَفْرِa wilderness كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَوَضَّحْنَ في عَلياءِ قَفْرِ كَأَنَّها
مَهاريقُscrolls فَلُّوحٍa scribe's يُعَرِّضْنَdisplaying themselves to تَاليَاa reader
مَهاريقُ فَلُّوحٍ يُعَرِّضْنَ تَاليَا
They gleam on a barren height, as though they were
a scribe's scrolls, displayed before a reader.
تَمَشَّىstrode بهthrough it الطِّلْمانُthe cock ostriches كَالدُّهْمlike black camels قَارَفَتْthat had encountered
تَمَشَّى به الطِّلْمانُ كَالدُّهْم قَارَفَتْ
بزَيْتِwith the oil of الرَّهَاءِal-Rahāʾ الجَوْنِdark والدِّفلِand oleander طالِياa dauber
بزَيْتِ الرَّهَاءِ الجَوْنِ والدِّفلِ طالِيا
The cock ostriches strode through it, like black camels that had met
a dauber using dark oil of al-Rahāʾ and oleander.
إذاwhen غَشَيَتْthey came upon جَدَّاa waterhole بِلَيْلٍby night تَنَاوَلَتْthey reached
إذا غَشَيَتْ جَدَّا بِلَيْلٍ تَنَاوَلَتْ
عِشاشَthe nests of الغُرَابِthe crow كالهضَابِlike hills بَوانِيَاmassive
عِشاشَ الغُرَابِ كالهضَابِ بَوانِيَا
When they come upon a waterhole by night, they reach
the crow's nests, standing massive as hills.
نَوَاهِكُwearing out بَيُّوتِthe night-long attendant of الحِيَاضِthe watering troughs إِذاwhen غَدَتْthey came at dawn
نَوَاهِكُ بَيُّوتِ الحِيَاضِ إِذا غَدَتْ
عَلَيْهupon him وَقَدْwhile already ضَمَّhad huddled together الضَّريبُthe hoarfrost الأفَاعِيَاthe vipers
عَلَيْه وَقَدْ ضَمَّ الضَّريبُ الأفَاعِيَا
They exhaust the troughs' night-long attendant when they come at dawn
upon him, after hoarfrost has huddled the vipers together.
كَأَنَّas though ذُراهاtheir humps مِنْfrom دَجُوجَDajūj قَعائِدٌfirm-set dunes
كَأَنَّ ذُراها مِنْ دَجُوجَ قَعائِدٌ
نَفَىswept away الشَّرْقُthe east wind عَنْهَاfrom them المُغْضِنَاتِthe rain-bearing clouds السَّوارِيَاtraveling by night
نَفَى الشَّرْقُ عَنْهَا المُغْضِنَاتِ السَّوارِيَا
As though their humps were firm-set dunes of Dajūj,
from which the east wind swept the rain-bearing, night-roving clouds.
أَأُمَّO mother of تَميمٍTamīm إِنْif تَرَيْنيyou see me عَدُوَّكُمْyour enemy
أَأُمَّ تَميمٍ إِنْ تَرَيْني عَدُوَّكُمْ
وَبَيْتِيand my household فَقَدْindeed أَغْنَىhas enriched الحَبيبَthe friend المُصَافِياthe sincerely loyal
وَبَيْتِي فَقَدْ أَغْنَى الحَبيبَ المُصَافِيا
O Umm Tamīm, if you see me as your enemy,
yet my household has enriched the loyal, true-hearted friend.