لاmay ... not رَعىbless; watch over اللَهُGod لَيلَتيmy night فيin بُخارىBukhara
لا رَعى اللَهُ لَيلَتي في بُخارى
ذِكرُهاits memory ماas long as حُيّيتُI live حَشوthe filling of ضَميريmy inner mind
ذِكرُها ما حُيّيتُ حَشو ضَميري
May God not bless my night in Bukhara!
Allah did not care for my night in Bukhara
Its memory fills my mind as long as I live.
The memory of it will live as long as I breathe
طَرَقَتنيvisited me at night الضُيوفُthe guests فيهاin it وَقَدand already بِـspent the night (word beginning)
طَرَقَتني الضُيوفُ فيها وَقَد بِـ
ـتُّI spent the night (word ending) مِنَbecause of الجوعِhunger فيin عَذابِtorment السَعيرِthe blazing fire
ـتُّ مِنَ الجوعِ في عَذابِ السَعيرِ
Guests came knocking that night, while I was spending
That night guests came and found me
the night in hunger's fiery torment.
Starving and suffering the torment of hellfire
لَيسَthere is not فيin مَنزِليmy house سِوىexcept قَحفِa shard إِبريـjug (word beginning)
لَيسَ في مَنزِلي سِوى قَحفِ إِبريـ
ـقٍjug (word ending) وَباقيand the remainder قَطيعَةٍa scrap مِنof حَصيرِmatting
ـقٍ وَباقي قَطيعَةٍ مِن حَصيرِ
There is nothing in my house but a shard of a
In my house was nothing but a straw mat
jug and the remains of a scrap of matting.
And the remnants of a tattered reed screen
أَتَقَرّىI seek hospitality from التُجارَthe merchants فيin سائِرِall الخاthe inns (word beginning)
أَتَقَرّى التُجارَ في سائِرِ الخا
ناتِinns (word ending) ظُهراًat noon عِندَat; when استِواءِreadiness; being fully cooked القُدورِthe cooking pots
ناتِ ظُهراً عِندَ استِواءِ القُدورِ
I seek hospitality from merchants in all the
The merchants relax their backs in other houses
inns at noon, when the pots are ready.
At the time when the pots are put on to cook
فَإِذاand if فاتَنيeludes me كَريمٌa generous man يُغَدّيـhe gives lunch
فَإِذا فاتَني كَريمٌ يُغَدّيـ
ـنيto me تَعشيتُI ate supper قُرصَةًa small round loaf مِنof شَعيرِbarley
ـني تَعشيتُ قُرصَةً مِن شَعيرِ
And if I fail to find a generous man to give lunch
If a generous one does not invite me for lunch
to me, I sup on a barley cake.
I break my fast at night with a morsel of barley
وَأُداريand I maneuver فيin صَونِpreserving ماليmy money بِعرضيwith my honor
وَأُداري في صَونِ مالي بِعرضي
وَأَقولُand I say القَليلُa little أَصلُthe root الكَثيرِmuch
وَأَقولُ القَليلُ أَصلُ الكَثيرِ
And I maneuver to preserve my money at my honor's expense,
Yet I protect my money and my honor
and I say, 'A little is the root of much.'
Always saying little is the root of much
وَأَناand I الموسِرُwell-to-do الغَنِيُّwealthy وَلكِنـand yet
وَأَنا الموسِرُ الغَنِيُّ وَلكِنـ
ـنِيَI مِنbecause of فرطِexcess خسةٍstinginess; meanness كَالفَقيرِlike a pauper
ـنِيَ مِن فرطِ خسةٍ كَالفَقيرِ
And I am well-to-do and wealthy, but
Though I am wealthy and rich at heart
I am like a pauper through sheer stinginess.
I am as destitute as the poor from extreme stinginess
فَأَتاحَso brought القَضاءُfate ليto me رَهطَa band سوءٍwickedness
فَأَتاحَ القَضاءُ لي رَهطَ سوءٍ
كَذِئابٍlike wolves قَدalready; had أَخفَقَتfailed in the hunt أَوor نُمورِleopards
كَذِئابٍ قَد أَخفَقَت أَو نُمورِ
So fate brought me a band of rogues,
Fate brought me evil folk
like wolves that have failed in the hunt, or leopards.
Like failing jackals or defeated lions
أَلزَمونيthey imposed on me ماwhat قالَهُsaid it الخالِدِيّانِthe two Khalidis
أَلزَموني ما قالَهُ الخالِدِيّانِ
وَراحواand they departed عَنّيfrom me بِقَولِwith the words of جَريرِJarir
وَراحوا عَنّي بِقَولِ جَريرِ
They imposed on me what the two Khalidis had said,
Who told me what the two Khalids had said
and departed from me with Jarir's words.
And left repeating Jarir's words
ثُمَّthen قالواthey said مَعادُناour return عَنin قَريبٍa short time
ثُمَّ قالوا مَعادُنا عَن قَريبٍ
فَاِرتَقِبناso await us فَقُلتُso I said هذاthis مَسيريmy departure
فَاِرتَقِبنا فَقُلتُ هذا مَسيري
Then they said, 'We shall return before long,
Then they said: "We will come back soon!"
so await us.' I replied, 'Now I am off!'
I said: "This is my journey!"
Sol 6.1