إِذاif ماan emphatic particle بِتَّyou spent the night بِالرَبَعِيَّwith al-Raba‘i لَيلاًat night
إِذا ما بِتَّ بِالرَبَعِيَّ لَيلاً
فَأَرَّقَthen he kept awake مُقلَتَيكَyour two eyes عَنِfrom الرُقادِsleep
فَأَرَّقَ مُقلَتَيكَ عَنِ الرُقادِ
If you spend a night with al-Raba‘i,
When the night found me stopping at a camp
he will keep your eyes awake, denying them sleep.
And sleep was denied by cares,
نَزَلتَyou lodged فَكانَand was حَظُّكَyour share مِنof قِراهُمtheir hospitality
نَزَلتَ فَكانَ حَظُّكَ مِن قِراهُم
طُروقاًa nighttime visitation إِنif نَزَلتَyou lodged بِغَيرِwithout زادِprovisions
طُروقاً إِن نَزَلتَ بِغَيرِ زادِ
You lodge, and your share of their hospitality is
I came down hoping for shelter from its people,
a nighttime visitation, if you arrive without provisions.
With nothing to sustain me but my sword and courage.
يَظَلُّkeeps يُعارِضُrunning alongside الرَبَعَيَّal-Raba‘i خَطٌّa line
يَظَلُّ يُعارِضُ الرَبَعَيَّ خَطٌّ
بِنَعلِwith the chape of السَيفِthe sword مِنbecause of قِصَرَthe shortness of النِجادِthe baldric
بِنَعلِ السَيفِ مِن قِصَرَ النِجادِ
A line keeps running alongside al-Raba‘i,
There I faced a line of naked swords,
traced by the sword’s chape, so short is his baldric.
Drawn in the sand as protection against raiders.
Sol 6.1