أَلا إِنَّ أَصحابَ الكَنيفِ وَجَدتُهُم

أَلا إِنَّ أَصحابَ الكَنيفِ وَجَدتُهُم

كَما الناسِ لَمّا أَخصَبوا وَتَمَوَّلوا

كَما الناسِ لَمّا أَخصَبوا وَتَمَوَّلوا

Indeed, I found the companions of the shelter

Behold, the people of the caravan whom I found

Like other people, once they prospered and grew wealthy.

Were like other people when they prospered and grew rich,

وَإِنّي لَمَدفوعٌ إِلَيَّ وَلاؤُهُم

وَإِنّي لَمَدفوعٌ إِلَيَّ وَلاؤُهُم

بِماوانَ إِذ نَمشي وَإِذ نَتَمَلمَلُ

بِماوانَ إِذ نَمشي وَإِذ نَتَمَلمَلُ

Yet their allegiance was surely thrust upon me

And I am inclined toward their friendship

At Mawan, when we walked and when we tossed restlessly;

When we walk together and shuffle along,

وَإِذ ما يُريحُ الحَيَّ صَرماءُ جونَةٌ

وَإِذ ما يُريحُ الحَيَّ صَرماءُ جونَةٌ

يَنوسُ عَلَيها رَحلُها ما يُحَلَّلُ

يَنوسُ عَلَيها رَحلُها ما يُحَلَّلُ

And when a dark, milkless she-camel gave the clan respite,

And when the live coals of a blazing firebrand

Her saddle swaying upon her, never loosened;

Warm the saddlecloth on which it is kindled.

مُوَقَّعَةُ الصَفقَينِ حَدباءَ شارِفٌ

مُوَقَّعَةُ الصَفقَينِ حَدباءَ شارِفٌ

تُقَيَّدُ أَحياناً لَدَيهِم وَتُرحَلُ

تُقَيَّدُ أَحياناً لَدَيهِم وَتُرحَلُ

Scarred on both flanks, humpbacked, an aged she-camel,

The she-camel of swollen hip, crumpled and scarred,

Sometimes tethered among them, and saddled.

Is sometimes hobbled there by them and saddled.

عَلَيها مِنَ الوِلدانِ ما قَد رَأَيتُمُ

عَلَيها مِنَ الوِلدانِ ما قَد رَأَيتُمُ

وَتَمشي بِجَنبَيها أَرامِلُ عُيَّلُ

وَتَمشي بِجَنبَيها أَرامِلُ عُيَّلُ

Upon her were the children you have already seen,

Upon her are the young boys such as you have seen,

And destitute widows walked on either side of her.

And about her walk widows poor and meek.

وَقُلتُ لَها يا أُمَّ بَيضاءَ فِتيَةٌ

وَقُلتُ لَها يا أُمَّ بَيضاءَ فِتيَةٌ

طَعامُهُمُ مِنَ القُدورِ المُعَجَّلُ

طَعامُهُمُ مِنَ القُدورِ المُعَجَّلُ

And I said to her: O Umm Bayda, they are young men

And I said to her, “O white mother of youths,

Whose food is the hastily prepared fare from the pots:

Whose food is hastily cooked in pots,

مَضيغٌ مِنَ النَيبِ المَسانِ وَمُسخَنٌ

مَضيغٌ مِنَ النَيبِ المَسانِ وَمُسخَنٌ

مِنَ الماءِ نَعلوهُ بِآخَرَ مِن عَلُ

مِنَ الماءِ نَعلوهُ بِآخَرَ مِن عَلُ

Chewy meat from aged she-camels, and heated

A brew of Channels and heated water

Water, which we top with more from above.

We last boiled in the previous evening.”

فَإِنّي وَإِيّاكُم كَذي الأُمِّ أَرهَنَت

فَإِنّي وَإِيّاكُم كَذي الأُمِّ أَرهَنَت

لَهُ ماءَ عَينَيها تُفَدّي وَتَحمِلُ

لَهُ ماءَ عَينَيها تُفَدّي وَتَحمِلُ

For I and you are like one whose mother pledged

For you and I were like a mother who pawned

To him the water of her eyes, ransoming and carrying him;

The water of her eyes to ransom and endure.

فَلَمّا تَرَجَّت نَفعَهُ وَشَبابَهُ

فَلَمّا تَرَجَّت نَفعَهُ وَشَبابَهُ

أَتَت دونَها أُخرى حَديداً تُكَحِّلُ

أَتَت دونَها أُخرى حَديداً تُكَحِّلُ

Then, when she hoped for his help and youthful strength,

But when he came of age and his youth paid off,

Another came between them, applying iron as kohl.

Another took her place, austere and kohl-eyed.

فَباتَت لِحَدِّ المِرفَقَينِ كِلَيهِما

فَباتَت لِحَدِّ المِرفَقَينِ كِلَيهِما

تُوَحوِحُ مِمّا نابَها وَتُوَلوِلُ

تُوَحوِحُ مِمّا نابَها وَتُوَلوِلُ

So she spent the night on the points of both her elbows,

She remained till the joints of both elbows

Groaning at what had befallen her and wailing.

Were worn threadbare with her tossing about and writhing

تُخَيَّرُ مِن أَمرَينِ لَيسا بِغِبطَةٍ

تُخَيَّرُ مِن أَمرَينِ لَيسا بِغِبطَةٍ

هُوَ الثَكلُ إِلّا أَنَّها قَد تَجَمَّلُ

هُوَ الثَكلُ إِلّا أَنَّها قَد تَجَمَّلُ

Made to choose between two things, neither to be envied:

As she chose between two joys neither enviable -

It is bereavement, though she may bear it with dignity.

Bereavement, except that she might adorn herself.

كَليلَةِ شَيباءَ الَّتي لَستَ ناسِياً

كَليلَةِ شَيباءَ الَّتي لَستَ ناسِياً

وَلَيلَتِنا إِذ مَنَّ ما مَنَّ قِرمِلُ

وَلَيلَتِنا إِذ مَنَّ ما مَنَّ قِرمِلُ

Like the night of Shayba, which you have not forgotten,

Like the night of an aged, grizzled woman you haven't forgotten,

And our night when Qirmil bestowed what he bestowed.

And like our night when whatever befell befell had its run.

أَقولُ لَهُ يا مالِ أُمُّكَ هابِلٌ

أَقولُ لَهُ يا مالِ أُمُّكَ هابِلٌ

مَتى حُبِسَت عَلى الأَفَيَّحِ تُعقَلُ

مَتى حُبِسَت عَلى الأَفَيَّحِ تُعقَلُ

I say to him: O Malik, may your mother mourn you!

I say to him, “O son of a water bag prone to leak,

When were they ever kept hobbled on the broad plain,

When was she confined to al-Afayyah and fettered

بِدَيمومَةٍ ما إِن تَكادُ تَرى بِها

بِدَيمومَةٍ ما إِن تَكادُ تَرى بِها

مِنَ الظَمَأِ الكَومَ الجِلادَ تُنَوَّلُ

مِنَ الظَمَأِ الكَومَ الجِلادَ تُنَوَّلُ

In a barren waste where you can scarcely see

With unremitting thirst such that you can hardly see

The hardy, high-humped camels given relief from thirst?

The leather bucket pass round her gullet?

تُنَكَّرُ آياتُ البِلادِ لِمالِكٍ

تُنَكَّرُ آياتُ البِلادِ لِمالِكٍ

وَأَيقَنَ أَن لا شَيءَ فيها يُقَوَّلُ

وَأَيقَنَ أَن لا شَيءَ فيها يُقَوَّلُ

The land's landmarks become unfamiliar to Malik,

The landmarks of the country are unrecognized by their owner,

And he knew for certain there was nothing there to speak of.

And he knows that nothing in it can be set aright.”