زَوَّدَتنا رُقَيَّةُ الأَحزانا

زَوَّدَتنا رُقَيَّةُ الأَحزانا

يَومَ جازَت حُمولُها سَكرانا

يَومَ جازَت حُمولُها سَكرانا

Ruqayya furnished us with sorrows

Rukaya burdened us with sorrows

the day her laden camels passed Sakrān,

When her caravans passed by drunk

رائِحاتٍ عَشِيَّةً عَن قُدَيدٍ

رائِحاتٍ عَشِيَّةً عَن قُدَيدٍ

وارِداتٍ مَعَ الضُحى عُسفانا

وارِداتٍ مَعَ الضُحى عُسفانا

departing from Qudayd at evening,

With scents of evening from Kudaid

reaching ʿUsfān in the forenoon,

And gifts arriving at dawn from Osfan

جاعِلاتٍ قَطائِفَ الباغِزِ الخُض

جاعِلاتٍ قَطائِفَ الباغِزِ الخُض

رَ عَلى الساهِكاتِ وَالأُرجُوانا

رَ عَلى الساهِكاتِ وَالأُرجُوانا

placing green coverlets of al-Bāghiz

Making the garden bulbs in their sleeves

upon the swift camels, and purple cloth too.

Dance on the roads and on the violets

إِن تَقُل هُنَّ مِن بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ

إِن تَقُل هُنَّ مِن بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ

فَعَسى ذاكَ أَن يَكونَ وَكانا

فَعَسى ذاكَ أَن يَكونَ وَكانا

If you say, “They are of Banū ʿAbd Shams,”

If you say they are from the tribe of Abdeshams

then that may well be so—and so it was.

Perhaps that would be true and was so

لَم يُخَوَّفنَ بِالبَياتِ وَلَم يَح

لَم يُخَوَّفنَ بِالبَياتِ وَلَم يَح

لُلنَ دارَ الهَوانِ مِن لُبنانا

لُلنَ دارَ الهَوانِ مِن لُبنانا

They were not frightened by night raids, nor did they

They were not frightened of the night nor pitched

settle, coming from Lebanon, in a house of humiliation.

Their tents in the land of disgrace from Lebanon

قُل لِقَندٍ يُشَيِّعُ الأَظعانَ

قُل لِقَندٍ يُشَيِّعُ الأَظعانَ

طالَ ما سَرَّ غَيبَنا وَكَفانا

طالَ ما سَرَّ غَيبَنا وَكَفانا

Tell Qand, who escorts the camel-borne women—

Tell Qand, who escorts misfortunes

long has he pleased us in our absence and met our needs—

Our absence has been long, and enough

أَنا مِن أَجلِكُم هَجَرتُ بَني زَي

أَنا مِن أَجلِكُم هَجَرتُ بَني زَي

دٍ وَمِن أَجلِكُم أُحِبُّ أَبانا

دٍ وَمِن أَجلِكُم أُحِبُّ أَبانا

for your sake I have forsaken Banū Zayd,

Because of you I abandoned the clan of Zaid

and for your sake I love Abān.

And because of you I love our father

وَدَخَلنا الدِيارَ ما نَشتَهيها

وَدَخَلنا الدِيارَ ما نَشتَهيها

طَمَعاً أَن نَنالَها أَو تَرانا

طَمَعاً أَن نَنالَها أَو تَرانا

We entered the dwellings, though we did not desire them,

And we entered the houses we desired

hoping to win her, or that she might see us.

Hoping either to attain them or see them

وَاِبنُ أَسماءَ خَيرُ مَن مَسَحَ الرُك

وَاِبنُ أَسماءَ خَيرُ مَن مَسَحَ الرُك

نَ فَعالاً وَخَيرُهُم بُنيانا

نَ فَعالاً وَخَيرُهُم بُنيانا

And Asmāʾ’s son is the best of those who touch the Corner

And the son of Asma is best at wiping feet

in deeds, and the finest of them in build.

Effectively, and best of them in building

وَإِذا قيلَ مَن هِجانُ قُرَيشٍ

وَإِذا قيلَ مَن هِجانُ قُرَيشٍ

كُنتَ أَنتَ الفَتى وَأَنتَ الهِجانا

كُنتَ أَنتَ الفَتى وَأَنتَ الهِجانا

And when it was asked, “Who are Quraysh’s noblest-born?”

And if asked who are the protectors of Quraish

you were the gallant youth, and you the noblest-born.

You are the young man, and you are the protector