لَحَيٌّ مِن أُمَيَّةَ لَي

لَحَيٌّ مِن أُمَيَّةَ لَي

سَ في أَخلاقِهِم رَنَقُ

سَ في أَخلاقِهِم رَنَقُ

Surely a clan of Umayya, with no

A beard from Umayya is not

taint in their character—

In their morals there is flamboyance

يَكونُ لِخابِطِ المَعرو

يَكونُ لِخابِطِ المَعرو

فِ في واديهِمُ وَرَقُ

فِ في واديهِمُ وَرَقُ

for one who beats the boughs for bounty,

There will be for the fabricator of poetry

their valley has leaves—

In their valley a leaf

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِن قَومٍ

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِن قَومٍ

إِذا ما أَصبَحوا نَعَقوا

إِذا ما أَصبَحوا نَعَقوا

is dearer to me than a people

More beloved to me than a people

who caw when morning comes.

Who when they wake up, they bleat

غَدَوا مِن دَورَجِ الكَريو

غَدَوا مِن دَورَجِ الكَريو

نِ حَيثُ سَفينُهُم حِزَقُ

نِ حَيثُ سَفينُهُم حِزَقُ

They set out at dawn from Dawraj al-Karyun,

Going early from a shipyard

where their ships are clustered,

Where their boat is worn-out

كَما يَغدو نَشاصٌ مِن

كَما يَغدو نَشاصٌ مِن

سَحابِ الصَيفِ مُنطَلِقُ

سَحابِ الصَيفِ مُنطَلِقُ

as a towering cloud moves forth

As a hunter goes early

from summer clouds, drifting freely.

From a summer cloud, speeding

فَلَمّا أَن عَلَونَ الني

فَلَمّا أَن عَلَونَ الني

لَ وَالراياتُ تَختَفِقُ

لَ وَالراياتُ تَختَفِقُ

Then, when they sailed up the Nile,

So when they ascended the Nile

with the banners fluttering,

And the flags flutter

رَأَيتُ الجَوهَرَ الحُكَمي

رَأَيتُ الجَوهَرَ الحُكَمي

يَ وَالديباجَ يَأتَلِقُ

يَ وَالديباجَ يَأتَلِقُ

I saw the Hukami jewels

I saw the precious wisdom

and the brocade gleaming,

And the brocade glittering

وَخَزَّ السوسِ وَالإِضري

وَخَزَّ السوسِ وَالإِضري

جَ فَصَّلَ بَينَهُ السَرَقُ

جَ فَصَّلَ بَينَهُ السَرَقُ

and Sus's silk-and-wool cloth and richly dyed silk,

And the lilac and myrtle bloomed

set off by panels of white silk,

So the theft separated between them

وَخَملَ الأُرجُوانِ عَلى ال

وَخَملَ الأُرجُوانِ عَلى ال

سَفينِ كَأَنَّهُ العَلَقُ

سَفينِ كَأَنَّهُ العَلَقُ

and the nap of crimson cloth upon

And the purple adorned the

the ships, as though it were clotted blood.

Boat as if it is the blood clot

سَفائِنُ غَيرُ مُقلَعَةٍ

سَفائِنُ غَيرُ مُقلَعَةٍ

إِلى حُلوانَ تَستَبِقُ

إِلى حُلوانَ تَستَبِقُ

Ships not under sail,

Unanchored boats

racing one another toward Hulwan.

To Hulwan speeding

مَحَلٌّ قَد نَحُلُّ بِهِ

مَحَلٌّ قَد نَحُلُّ بِهِ

لَذيذٌ عَيشُهُ غَدِقُ

لَذيذٌ عَيشُهُ غَدِقُ

An abode where we may lodge,

A place we endow with

with life sweet and plentiful.

A sweet life, flooding it

يَحِلُّ بِهِ اِبنُ لَيلى وَال

يَحِلُّ بِهِ اِبنُ لَيلى وَال

نَدى وَالحِلمُ وَالصِدِقُ

نَدى وَالحِلمُ وَالصِدِقُ

There dwell Ibn Layla and

Inhabited by the son of Layla and the

generosity, forbearance, and truth.

Dew and dream and truth

تَكونُ جِفانُهُ رَغَداً

تَكونُ جِفانُهُ رَغَداً

فَمَصبوحٌ وَمُغتَبَقُ

فَمَصبوحٌ وَمُغتَبَقُ

His great bowls offer abundant fare,

Its terrain will be comfortable

so some are served at dawn, others at dusk.

Happy and compressed

إِذا ما أَزحَفَت رُفَقٌ

إِذا ما أَزحَفَت رُفَقٌ

أَتَت مِن دونِها رُفَقُ

أَتَت مِن دونِها رُفَقُ

Whenever bands of travelers press forward,

If a company crept

more bands arrive ahead of them.

Another company came after it