وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا بِالغَرِيَّينِ ضافَنا

وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا بِالغَرِيَّينِ ضافَنا

عَلى الزادِ مَمشوقِ الذِراعَينِ أَطلَسُ

عَلى الزادِ مَمشوقِ الذِراعَينِ أَطلَسُ

And one night, as we stayed at al-Ghariyyayn, a guest joined us

at our meal: a dust-gray wolf with slender forelegs.

تَلَمَّسَنا حَتّى أَتانا وَلَم يَزَل

تَلَمَّسَنا حَتّى أَتانا وَلَم يَزَل

لَدُن فَطَمَتهُ أُمُّهُ يَتَلَمَّسُ

لَدُن فَطَمَتهُ أُمُّهُ يَتَلَمَّسُ

He sought us out until he reached us, and had never stopped

searching for food since his mother weaned him.

وَلَو أَنَّهُ إِذ جاءَنا كانَ دانِياً

وَلَو أَنَّهُ إِذ جاءَنا كانَ دانِياً

لَأَلبَستُهُ لَو أَنَّهُ كانَ يَلبَسُ

لَأَلبَستُهُ لَو أَنَّهُ كانَ يَلبَسُ

And had he been close when he came to us,

I would have clothed him—if he were one to wear clothes.

وَلَكِن تَنَحّى جَنبَةً بَعدَما دَنا

وَلَكِن تَنَحّى جَنبَةً بَعدَما دَنا

فَكانَ كَقَيدِ الرِمحِ بَل هُوَ أَنفَسُ

فَكانَ كَقَيدِ الرِمحِ بَل هُوَ أَنفَسُ

But he withdrew to one side after drawing near,

and was a spear’s length away—rather, farther still.

فَقاسَمتُهُ نِصفَينِ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

فَقاسَمتُهُ نِصفَينِ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

بَقِيَّةَ زادي وَالرَكايِبُ نُعَّسُ

بَقِيَّةَ زادي وَالرَكايِبُ نُعَّسُ

So I shared with him, half for me and half for him,

the rest of my provisions, while the riding camels dozed.

وَكانَ اِبنُ لَيلى إِذ قَرى الذِئبَ زادَهُ

وَكانَ اِبنُ لَيلى إِذ قَرى الذِئبَ زادَهُ

عَلى طارِقِ الظَلماءِ لا يَتَعَبَّسِ

عَلى طارِقِ الظَلماءِ لا يَتَعَبَّسِ

And Ibn Layla, when he fed the wolf his provisions,

did not scowl at the visitor in the darkness.