أَبلِغtell أَباAbu (father of) بَكرٍBakr إِذاwhen اللَيلُthe night سَرىadvanced
أَبلِغ أَبا بَكرٍ إِذا اللَيلُ سَرى
وَهَبَطَand descended القَومُthe host عَلىupon واديWadi (valley of) القُرىal-Qura (the villages)
وَهَبَطَ القَومُ عَلى وادي القُرى
Tell Abu Bakr, when the night has advanced,
And the host has descended upon Wadi al-Qura:
عُشرونَtwenty أَلفاًthousand بَينَamong كَهلٍa mature man وَفتىand a young man
عُشرونَ أَلفاً بَينَ كَهلٍ وَفتى
أَجَمعَis it a host سَكرانَa drunkard مِنَamong القَومِthe people تَرىyou see
أَجَمعَ سَكرانَ مِنَ القَومِ تَرى
Twenty thousand, both mature men and youths.
Do you see among the people a drunkard's host,
أَمor جَمعَa host يَقظانَa wakeful man نُفِيwas banished عَنهُfrom him الكَرىslumber
أَم جَمعَ يَقظانَ نُفِي عَنهُ الكَرى
ياO عَجَباًwonder مِنat مُلحِدٍa heretic ياO عَجَباwonder
يا عَجَباً مِن مُلحِدٍ يا عَجَبا
Or the host of a wakeful man from whom slumber has been banished?
Oh, what wonder at a heretic—oh, what wonder!
مُخادِعٍa deceiver فيin الدينِthe faith يَقفوpursues بِالعُرىwith the bonds
مُخادِعٍ في الدينِ يَقفو بِالعُرى
A deceiver in religion, who pursues with bonds.