عَجَبٌ ما عَجَبٌ أَعجَبَني

عَجَبٌ ما عَجَبٌ أَعجَبَني

مِن غُلامٍ حَكَمِيٍّ أُصُلا

مِن غُلامٍ حَكَمِيٍّ أُصُلا

What a wonder—what a wonder has amazed me:

A wonder—what a wonder!—astonished me,

a boy of Ḥakamī stock.

from a Ḥakamī youth in the late afternoon.

قُلتُ حَدِّث عَن أُناسِ نَزَلوا

قُلتُ حَدِّث عَن أُناسِ نَزَلوا

حَضَناً أَو غَيرَهُ قالَ هَلا

حَضَناً أَو غَيرَهُ قالَ هَلا

I said, “Tell me of some people who encamped

I said, “Tell me about people who camped

at Ḥaḍan, or elsewhere.” He said, “Halā.”

at Ḥaḍan or elsewhere.” He said, “halā.”

قُلتُ بَيِّن ما هَلا هَل نَزَلوا

قُلتُ بَيِّن ما هَلا هَل نَزَلوا

قالَ حَوباً ثُمَّ وَلّى عَجَلا

قالَ حَوباً ثُمَّ وَلّى عَجَلا

I said, “Explain—what is halā? Did they encamp?”

I said, “Explain: what is ‘halā’? Did they camp there?”

He said, “Ḥawban,” then turned and hurried away.

He said, “ḥawban,” then turned away in haste.

لَستُ أَدري حينَ وَلّى عَجَلا

لَستُ أَدري حينَ وَلّى عَجَلا

أَنعَم ما قالَ لي أَم قالَ لا

أَنعَم ما قالَ لي أَم قالَ لا

I do not know, when he hurried away,

I could not tell, when he turned away in haste:

whether he said yes to me, or said no.

had he said “yes” to me, or had he said “no”?

قُلتُ هاذي لُغَةٌ أُنكِرُها

قُلتُ هاذي لُغَةٌ أُنكِرُها

زادَتِ القَلبَ المُعَيّى خَبَلا

زادَتِ القَلبَ المُعَيّى خَبَلا

I said, “This is a language I do not know”;

I said, “This is a language I do not recognize;

it increased the bewildered heart’s madness.

it has added confusion to my weary heart.”