كمmany a زورةٍvisit ليَof mine بالزوراءِat al-Zawra خُضْتُI waded بهاduring it
كم زورةٍ ليَ بالزوراءِ خُضْتُ بها
عُبابَthe billows بحرٍa sea منof الليلِthe night الدجوجيِّpitch-dark
عُبابَ بحرٍ من الليلِ الدجوجيِّ
Many a visit have I made to al-Zawra, wading through
How many times have I wandered the ruins at night,
the billows of a sea of pitch-dark night!
Sailing an ocean of darkness unfathomably deep.
وكمand how often طرقتُI visited by night قِبابَthe domed tents الحيِّthe tribe مرتدياclad
وكم طرقتُ قِبابَ الحيِّ مرتديا
بصارمٍwith a keen sword مثلِlike عزميmy resolve هُنْدوانيهits Indian steel
بصارمٍ مثلِ عزمي هُنْدوانيه
And often have I visited the tribe's domed tents by night, girded
How often have I knocked on the abodes of the living,
with a keen sword whose Indian steel was like my resolve.
My sword as steadfast as my resolve, like Indian steel.
والليلُand the night يسترنيconceals me غربيبُjet-black سُدْفَتِهِits gloom
والليلُ يسترني غربيبُ سُدْفَتِهِ
كأننيas though I خَفَرٌa blush of modesty فيon خدِّthe cheek زنجيِّa Zanj man (a Black African)
كأنني خَفَرٌ في خدِّ زنجيِّ
And night concealed me, its gloom jet-black,
And the night conceals me in its dark cloak
as though I were a blush on a Zanj man's cheek.
As though I were a guard on the cheek of an Abyssinian.
Sol 6.1