قُل لِلمَنازِلِ مِن أُثَيلَةَ تَنطِقُ

قُل لِلمَنازِلِ مِن أُثَيلَةَ تَنطِقُ

بِالجِزعِ جِزعِ القَرنِ لَمّا تُخلِقِ

بِالجِزعِ جِزعِ القَرنِ لَمّا تُخلِقِ

Speak to Uthaylah's dwellings, and they will speak,

Tell the dwellings made of cloth that they speak

at the valley bend, the bend of al-Qarn, not yet worn away:

With grief, the grief of an era when created

حُيَّيتِ مِن طَلَلٍ تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ

حُيَّيتِ مِن طَلَلٍ تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ

وَسُقيتِ مِن صَوبِ الرَبيعِ المُغدِقِ

وَسُقيتِ مِن صَوبِ الرَبيعِ المُغدِقِ

Hail to you, remnant of a dwelling whose days are long past,

Greeted from ruins whose age has passed

and may you be watered by spring's abundant rainfall,

And watered from the downpour of bountiful spring

لِتَذَكُّرِ الزَمَنِ الَّذي قَد فاتَنا

لِتَذَكُّرِ الزَمَنِ الَّذي قَد فاتَنا

أَيّامَ نَبتَعِثُ الرَسولَ وَنَلتَقي

أَيّامَ نَبتَعِثُ الرَسولَ وَنَلتَقي

in remembrance of the time that has passed us by,

To remember the time that has gone by us

the days when we would send the messenger and meet,

Days we will resurrect the Messenger and reunite

إِذ أَنتِ رُؤدٌ في الشَبابِ غَريرَةٌ

إِذ أَنتِ رُؤدٌ في الشَبابِ غَريرَةٌ

غَرّاءُ خَودٌ كَالغَزالِ الأَخرَقِ

غَرّاءُ خَودٌ كَالغَزالِ الأَخرَقِ

when you were tender in youth, innocent,

When you were a delicate doe in flourishing youth

radiant, a tender maiden, like a startled gazelle,

A fawn with cheeks like the green gazelle

دَرما المَرافِقِ طَيِّبٌ أَردانُها

دَرما المَرافِقِ طَيِّبٌ أَردانُها

حَشوُ الحَقيبَةِ بادِنُ المُتَنَطَّقِ

حَشوُ الحَقيبَةِ بادِنُ المُتَنَطَّقِ

full-fleshed at the elbows, her sleeves fragrant,

Whose saddlebags were fragrant, their contents perfumed

full in the haunches, ample at the girdled waist.

Filled with the eloquent, conversing supplies

لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِن أُثَيلَةَ إِذ بَدَت

لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِن أُثَيلَةَ إِذ بَدَت

وَقَدِ اِحزَأَلَّت عيرُها لِتَفَرُّقِ

وَقَدِ اِحزَأَلَّت عيرُها لِتَفَرُّقِ

Nothing was lovelier than Uthaylah when she appeared,

Nothing more beautiful than Athayla when she appeared

while her caravan had already gathered for departure.

Her caravan hastened to disperse

وَإِذا رَنَت نَظَرَ النَزيفِ بِعَينِها

وَإِذا رَنَت نَظَرَ النَزيفِ بِعَينِها

فَعَرَفتُ حاجَتَها وَإِن لَم تَنطِقِ

فَعَرَفتُ حاجَتَها وَإِن لَم تَنطِقِ

And when she gazed with her eye like one intoxicated,

And when she glanced with eyes of dripping kohl

then I understood her wish, even though she did not speak.

I knew her need though she did not speak