وَسارٍand a night traveler تَعَنّاهُwearied him المَبيتُovernight lodging فَلَمand did not يَدَعleave
وَسارٍ تَعَنّاهُ المَبيتُ فَلَم يَدَع
لَهُfor him طامِسُthe obliterating gloom الظَلماءِthe darkness وَاللَيلِand the night مَذهَباa way onward
لَهُ طامِسُ الظَلماءِ وَاللَيلِ مَذهَبا
And a night traveler, troubled by the need for lodging, was denied
Weary of night's gloom, a traveller found no rest.
Any way onward by the blinding darkness of night.
Darkness denied him refuge or place to lie.
رَأَىhe saw ضَوءَthe light نارٍof a fire مِنfrom بَعيدٍfar away فَخالَهاand he supposed it
رَأَى ضَوءَ نارٍ مِن بَعيدٍ فَخالَها
لَقَدsurely أَكذَبَتهُdeceived him النَفسُhis own mind بَلrather راءَhe saw كَوكَباa star
لَقَد أَكذَبَتهُ النَفسُ بَل راءَ كَوكَبا
He saw the light of a fire from afar, and supposed
He spied a distant fire and thought it a star,
His mind had surely deceived him: he had seen a star instead.
His spirit lied that it was nought but a star.
فلَمّاthen when اِستَبانَhe discerned أَنَّهاthat it was آنِسِيَّةٌhuman-made
فلَمّا اِستَبانَ أَنَّها آنِسِيَّةٌ
وَصَدَّقَand he accepted as true ظَنّاًa surmise بَعدَafter ماthat كانhe had كَذَّباrejected as false
وَصَدَّقَ ظَنّاً بَعدَ ما كان كَذَّبا
Then, when he discerned that it was a human fire,
When he found it was a kindly fire instead,
And accepted a surmise he had previously rejected,
He trusted what he'd once thought must be false.
رَفَعتُI raised لَهُfor him بِالكَفِّwith the hand ناراًa fire تَشُبُّهاfans it
رَفَعتُ لَهُ بِالكَفِّ ناراً تَشُبُّها
شآمِيَّةٌa Syrian wind نَكباءُan oblique wind أَوor عاصِفٌa stormy wind صَباan east wind
شآمِيَّةٌ نَكباءُ أَو عاصِفٌ صَبا
I raised a fire for him with my hand, fanned by
I raised a blaze to hail him with my palm
A slanting wind from Syria, or a stormy east wind.
A Syrian fire, or storm from North or South.
وَقُلتُand I said اِرفَعاهاraise it, you two بِالصَعيدِon the high ground كَفىis sufficient بِهاwith it
وَقُلتُ اِرفَعاها بِالصَعيدِ كَفى بِها
مُنادٍa caller لِسارٍto a night traveler لَيلَةًone night إِنif تَأَوَّباhe comes by night
مُنادٍ لِسارٍ لَيلَةً إِن تَأَوَّبا
And I said, “You two, raise it on the high ground; it suffices
"Lift it on high," I said, "that it may call
As a call to a night traveler, should he arrive one night.”
To a lonely traveller on a lonely night.”
فَلَمَّاthen when أَتانيhe came to me وَالسَماءُand the sky تَبُلُّهُdrenches him
فَلَمَّا أَتاني وَالسَماءُ تَبُلُّهُ
فَلَقَّيتُهُso I greeted him أَهلاًwelcome وَسَهلاًand ease وَمَرحَباand a warm welcome
فَلَقَّيتُهُ أَهلاً وَسَهلاً وَمَرحَبا
Then, when he came to me with the sky drenching him,
As rain soaked him, he came to me for shelter.
I received him with welcome, ease, and warm hospitality.
I welcomed him, with ease and wished him well.
وَقُمتُand I rose إِلىtoward البَركِthe kneeling camels الهَواجِدِthe sleeping ones فَاِتَّقَتso they shielded themselves
وَقُمتُ إِلى البَركِ الهَواجِدِ فَاِتَّقَت
بِكَوماءَwith a high-humped she-camel لَمnot يَذهَبcarry بِهاwith her النَّيُّfat مَذهَباto excess
بِكَوماءَ لَم يَذهَب بِها النَّيُّ مَذهَبا
I rose to the sleeping, kneeling camels, which shielded themselves
I turned towards the pool, still topped with drifts
With a high-humped she-camel, not fattened to excess.
The rain had not yet drained to their depths away.
فَرَحَّبتُso I widened أَعَلىthe upper part الجَنبِthe flank مِنهاof her بِطَعنَةٍwith a thrust
فَرَحَّبتُ أَعَلى الجَنبِ مِنها بِطَعنَةٍ
دَعَتcalled forth مُستَكِنَّwhat lay hidden الجَوفِthe belly حَتّىuntil تَصَبَّباit streamed out
دَعَت مُستَكِنَّ الجَوفِ حَتّى تَصَبَّبا
I opened her upper flank wide with a thrust
I gashed its neck that the entrails might gush out
That called forth what her belly hid, until it streamed out.
And furnish forth a feast for both of us.
تَسامىrise up بَناتُdaughters الغَليِboiling فيin حُجُراتِهاtheir chambers
تَسامى بَناتُ الغَليِ في حُجُراتِها
تَساميthe rising of عِتاقِnoble-bred الخَيلِhorses وَرداًchestnut-colored وَأَشهَباand gray
تَسامي عِتاقِ الخَيلِ وَرداً وَأَشهَبا
The daughters of boiling leap up within their cauldrons,
The bubbles rose like pearls in their own spheres
Like the leaping of noble horses, chestnut and gray.
Like cornelian and grey in their own globes.
Sol 6.1