وَطاوي ثَلاثٍ عاصِبِ البَطنِ مُرمِلٍ

وَطاوي ثَلاثٍ عاصِبِ البَطنِ مُرمِلٍ

بِتيهاءَ لَم يَعرِف بِها ساكِنٌ رَسما

بِتيهاءَ لَم يَعرِف بِها ساكِنٌ رَسما

And a man three nights unfed, his belly bound, destitute,

Three hungry men with bellies drawn in

In a trackless waste where no dweller knew a trace of habitation,

Lost in a desolate place where no dweller’s tracks could be found

أَخي جَفوَةٍ فيهِ مِنَ الإِنسِ وَحشَةٌ

أَخي جَفوَةٍ فيهِ مِنَ الإِنسِ وَحشَةٌ

يَرى البُؤسَ فيها مِن شَراسَتِهِ نُعمى

يَرى البُؤسَ فيها مِن شَراسَتِهِ نُعمى

A man of rough ways, with an aversion to humankind,

A rough, inhospitable land where hardship was the norm

Sees hardship there, through his harsh nature, as a blessing.

And cruelty blinded people to misery around them

وَأَفرَدَ في شِعبٍ عَجُوزاً إِزائَها

وَأَفرَدَ في شِعبٍ عَجُوزاً إِزائَها

ثَلاثَةُ أَشباحٍ تَخالُهُمُ بَهما

ثَلاثَةُ أَشباحٍ تَخالُهُمُ بَهما

And in a ravine he had secluded an old woman; beside her

In a ravine an old woman lived alone

Were three shadowy figures you would take for lambs.

With three ghostly figures she imagined for company

رَأى شَبَحاً وَسطَ الظَلامِ فَراعَهُ

رَأى شَبَحاً وَسطَ الظَلامِ فَراعَهُ

فَلَمّا بَدا ضَيفاً تَسَوَّرَ وَاِهتَمّا

فَلَمّا بَدا ضَيفاً تَسَوَّرَ وَاِهتَمّا

He saw a figure amid the darkness, and it alarmed him.

One gloomy night a figure appeared and startled her

Then, when the figure proved a guest, he sprang up and grew anxious.

But realizing he was a guest, her worry turned to welcome

وَقالَ اِبنُهُ لَمّا رَآهُ بِحَيرَةٍ

وَقالَ اِبنُهُ لَمّا رَآهُ بِحَيرَةٍ

أَيا أَبَتِ اِذبَحني وَيَسِّر لَهُ طُعما

أَيا أَبَتِ اِذبَحني وَيَسِّر لَهُ طُعما

And his son said, when he saw him bewildered:

Her son said, seeing her dismay:

"O my father, slaughter me and provide him with food.

“Father, slaughter me to feed this stranger, do not hesitate!

وَلا تَعتَذِر بِالعُدمِ عَلَّ الَّذي طَرا

وَلا تَعتَذِر بِالعُدمِ عَلَّ الَّذي طَرا

يَظُنُّ لَنا مالاً فَيوسِعُنا ذَمّا

يَظُنُّ لَنا مالاً فَيوسِعُنا ذَمّا

And do not plead poverty; perhaps the one who has arrived

Do not excuse yourself saying we have nothing to offer one

Thinks we have wealth, and will heap reproach upon us."

Who expects wealth from us and would broaden our fame”

فَرَوّى قَليلاً ثُمَّ أَجحَمَ بُرهَةً

فَرَوّى قَليلاً ثُمَّ أَجحَمَ بُرهَةً

وَإِن هُوَ لَم يَذبَح فَتاهُ فَقَد هَمّا

وَإِن هُوَ لَم يَذبَح فَتاهُ فَقَد هَمّا

So he pondered a little, then hesitated for a while;

The father thought for a while, then heaved a sigh

And though he did not slaughter his boy, he did contemplate it.

Though he never sacrificed his son, he had considered it

فَبَينا هُما عَنَّت عَلى البُعدِ عانَةٌ

فَبَينا هُما عَنَّت عَلى البُعدِ عانَةٌ

قَدِ اِنتَظَمَت مِن خَلفِ مِسحَلِها نَظما

قَدِ اِنتَظَمَت مِن خَلفِ مِسحَلِها نَظما

Then, while the two were thus, a herd of wild asses appeared far off,

As the two despaired in their distant destitution

Already lined up in order behind their leading male ass,

A deer with symmetrical lines on its back approached like a poem

عِطاشاً تُريدُ الماءَ فَاِنسابَ نَحوَها

عِطاشاً تُريدُ الماءَ فَاِنسابَ نَحوَها

عَلى أَنَّهُ مِنها إِلى دَمِها أَظما

عَلى أَنَّهُ مِنها إِلى دَمِها أَظما

Thirsty, seeking water; so he crept toward them,

Thirsty, seeking water, it moved toward them

Though he thirsted for their blood more than they thirsted for water.

As if it would be a feast to quench their famished bodies

فَأَمهَلَها حَتّى تَرَوَّت عِطاشُها

فَأَمهَلَها حَتّى تَرَوَّت عِطاشُها

فَأَرسَلَ فيها مِن كِنانَتِهِ سَهما

فَأَرسَلَ فيها مِن كِنانَتِهِ سَهما

So he gave them time until their thirsty ones had drunk their fill,

The man waited until the deer had quenched its thirst

Then loosed an arrow from his quiver into their midst.

Then let fly an arrow from his bow into its side

فَخَرَّت نَحوصٌ ذاتُ جَحشٍ سَمينَةٌ

فَخَرَّت نَحوصٌ ذاتُ جَحشٍ سَمينَةٌ

قَدِ اِكتَنَزَت لَحماً وَقَد طُبِّقَت شَحما

قَدِ اِكتَنَزَت لَحماً وَقَد طُبِّقَت شَحما

Then down fell a fat wild she-ass with a foal,

The deer fell, fat with meat, abundant in flesh

Already packed with flesh and covered in fat.

Enough to feed them and overflow their dishes with fat

فَيا بِشرَهُ إِذ جَرَّها نَحوَ قَومِهِ

فَيا بِشرَهُ إِذ جَرَّها نَحوَ قَومِهِ

وَيا بِشرَهُم لَمّا رَأَوا كَلمَها يَدمى

وَيا بِشرَهُم لَمّا رَأَوا كَلمَها يَدمى

And oh, his joy as he dragged her toward his family!

Oh what joy when he dragged it to his people!

And oh, their joy when they saw her wound bleeding!

And what joy they felt when they saw its blood spill!

فَباتَوا كِراماً قَد قَضوا حَقَّ ضَيفِهِم

فَباتَوا كِراماً قَد قَضوا حَقَّ ضَيفِهِم

فَلَم يَغرِموا غُرماً وَقَد غَنِموا غُنما

فَلَم يَغرِموا غُرماً وَقَد غَنِموا غُنما

So they spent the night as generous hosts, having fulfilled their guest's due,

They spent the night honored, having fulfilled their duty

So they incurred no loss, and had indeed made a gain.

To their guest. No loss did they incur, but profit made

وَباتَ أَبوهُم مِن بَشاشَتِهِ أَباً

وَباتَ أَبوهُم مِن بَشاشَتِهِ أَباً

لِضَيفِهِمُ وَالأُمُّ مِن بِشرِها أُمّا

لِضَيفِهِمُ وَالأُمُّ مِن بِشرِها أُمّا

And that night their father, in his cheerfulness, was a father

The father’s gladness made him again a true father

To their guest, and the mother, in her joy, a mother.

The mother’s joy made her again a true mother