وَطارِقِand a night visitor لَيلٍby night مِنfrom عُلَيَّةَUlayya زارَناvisited us
وَطارِقِ لَيلٍ مِن عُلَيَّةَ زارَنا
وَقَدand already كادَnearly عَنّيaway from me اللَيلُthe night يَنفَدُruns out آخِرُهits last part
وَقَد كادَ عَنّي اللَيلُ يَنفَدُ آخِرُه
And a night visitor from Ulayya came to us,
when the last of the night was almost gone from me.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him هَذاthis مَبيتٌa night's lodging وَعِندَناand with us
فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَذا مَبيتٌ وَعِندَنا
قِرىhospitality طارِقٍa night visitor مِنّاof us قَريبٍclose أَواصِرُهhis kinship ties
قِرى طارِقٍ مِنّا قَريبٍ أَواصِرُه
So I said to him: Here is lodging, and we have
hospitality for a visitor whose ties to us are close,
كَريمٍdear عَلَيناto us زارَناvisited us عَنfrom حَنابَةٍunclear in the supplied text
كَريمٍ عَلَينا زارَنا عَن حَنابَةٍ
بِهِwith him اللَيلُthe night إِذwhen حَلَّتencamped عَلَيناupon us عَساكِرُهits armies
بِهِ اللَيلُ إِذ حَلَّت عَلَينا عَساكِرُه
dear to us, who visited us from [unclear wording],
with night about him, when its armies encamped upon us.
فَباتَso he spent the night وَبِتناand we spent the night نَحسِبُwe thought اللَيلَthe night مُصبِحاًturning to morning
فَباتَ وَبِتنا نَحسِبُ اللَيلَ مُصبِحاً
بِهاthrough her عِندَناwith us حَتّىuntil تَجَرَّمَpassed completely غابِرُهits remainder
بِها عِندَنا حَتّى تَجَرَّمَ غابِرُه
So he stayed the night, and we did too, thinking night had turned to morning
through her presence with us, until its last remnant passed.
فَلَوso, if لَمnot تَكُنshe were رُؤياًa dream لَأَصبَحَhe would have been at dawn عِندَناwith us
فَلَو لَم تَكُن رُؤياً لَأَصبَحَ عِندَنا
كَريمٌa noble one مِنَamong الأَضيافِthe guests عَفٌّchaste سَرائِرُهhis innermost thoughts
كَريمٌ مِنَ الأَضيافِ عَفٌّ سَرائِرُه
Had she not been a dream, dawn would have found among us
a noble guest, chaste in his innermost thoughts.
فَياso, O لِعِبادِfor the servants of اللَهِGod كَيفَhow تَخَيَّلَتshe appeared as a phantom
فَيا لِعِبادِ اللَهِ كَيفَ تَخَيَّلَت
لَناto us باطِلاًas an illusion لَمّاwhen جَلاdispelled اللَيلَthe night نائِرُهits light-giver
لَنا باطِلاً لَمّا جَلا اللَيلَ نائِرُه
O servants of God, how she proved
a mere illusion to us when the light dispelled the night!
إِلىto أَسَدٍAsad سيريjourney! فَإِنَّfor indeed لِقاءَهُmeeting him
إِلى أَسَدٍ سيري فَإِنَّ لِقاءَهُ
حَياlife-giving rain الغَيثِof the rain يُحيِيrevives مَيِّتَthe dead part of الأَرضِthe earth ماطِرُهits showering cloud
حَيا الغَيثِ يُحيِي مَيِّتَ الأَرضِ ماطِرُه
Journey to Asad, for meeting him
is life-giving rain, whose showers revive the dead earth.
إِلَيكَto you أَباfather of الأَشبالِthe lion cubs سارَتshe journeyed وَخاطَرَتand she braved
إِلَيكَ أَبا الأَشبالِ سارَت وَخاطَرَت
عَوادِيَthe assaults of لَيلٍa night كانَwas تُخشىwere feared بَوادِرُهits sudden terrors
عَوادِيَ لَيلٍ كانَ تُخشى بَوادِرُه
To you, Abu al-Ashbal, she journeyed and braved
the assaults of a night whose sudden terrors were feared,
لِتَلقىto meet أَباfather of الأَشبالِthe lion cubs وَالمُستَغيثُهُand whoever seeks his aid
لِتَلقى أَبا الأَشبالِ وَالمُستَغيثُهُ
مِنَfrom الفَقرِpoverty أَوخَوفٍor fear تُخافُare dreaded جَرائِرُهits dire consequences
مِنَ الفَقرِ أَوخَوفٍ تُخافُ جَرائِرُه
to meet Abu al-Ashbal; as for one who seeks his aid
against poverty, or fear whose consequences are dreaded,
كَفاهُhe spared him الَّذيthat which تَخشىfears مِنَof الخَوفِfear نَفسُهُhis soul
كَفاهُ الَّذي تَخشى مِنَ الخَوفِ نَفسُهُ
وَسُدَّتand were filled بِإِعطاءِby giving الأُلوفِthousands مَفاقِرُهhis needs
وَسُدَّت بِإِعطاءِ الأُلوفِ مَفاقِرُه
he spares him the fear his soul dreads,
and his needs are met with gifts of thousands.
دَعانيhe summoned me أَبوfather of الأَشبالِthe lion cubs وَالنيلُand the Nile دونَهُbetween me and him
دَعاني أَبو الأَشبالِ وَالنيلُ دونَهُ
وَأَيُّand what a مُجيبٍrespondent إِذwhen دَعانيhe summoned me وَزائِرُهand his visitor
وَأَيُّ مُجيبٍ إِذ دَعاني وَزائِرُه
Abu al-Ashbal summoned me, with the Nile between us;
and how I answered when he called me, and came to visit him!
وَماand not زالَceased مُذsince كانَhe was الخُماسِيَّa boy five spans tall يَشتَريhe buys
وَما زالَ مُذ كانَ الخُماسِيَّ يَشتَري
غَوالِيَprecious things مِنof مَجدٍglory عِظامٍgreat مَآثِرُهits noble deeds
غَوالِيَ مِن مَجدٍ عِظامٍ مَآثِرُه
And ever since he was five spans tall, he has kept buying
costly glories, mighty in their noble deeds.
يَعودُcomes to aid عَلىupon المَولىthe client نَداهُhis generosity وَمالُهُand his wealth
يَعودُ عَلى المَولى نَداهُ وَمالُهُ
وَقَدand indeed عَزَّwas scarce وَسطَamid القَومِthe people مَنone who هُوَhe ناصِرُهhis helper
وَقَد عَزَّ وَسطَ القَومِ مَن هُوَ ناصِرُه
His generosity and wealth succor his client,
when a helper for him is scarce among his people.
عَلَتrose above كَفُّكَyour hand اليُمنىthe right طِعاناًin spear-thrusting وَنائِلاًand in bounty
عَلَت كَفُّكَ اليُمنى طِعاناً وَنائِلاً
يَدَيboth hands of كُلِّevery مِعطاءٍlavish giver وَقِرنٍand a rival تُساوِرُهyou assail him
يَدَي كُلِّ مِعطاءٍ وَقِرنٍ تُساوِرُه
Your right hand has risen, in spear-thrusts and bounty,
above both hands of every lavish giver and every rival you assail.
Sol 6.1