أَتى يخبط الظلماء وَالليل دامس

أَتى يخبط الظلماء وَالليل دامس

يسائل عن غيري الَّذي هو آملُ

يسائل عن غيري الَّذي هو آملُ

He came groping through the darkness, the night pitch-black,

He came knocking in the dark night

asking after someone other than me, on whom he pinned his hopes.

Asking about others, while I am hopeful

فقلت لَها قومي إِليه فيسري

فقلت لَها قومي إِليه فيسري

طَعاماً فان الضيف لا بد نازِلُ

طَعاماً فان الضيف لا بد نازِلُ

I said to her, "Rise, attend to him, and prepare

So I said to her, go to him and serve

some food, for the guest is bound to stay."

Food, for a guest must settle down

يَقول وقد القى مراسيه للقرى

يَقول وقد القى مراسيه للقرى

ابن ليَ ما الحجاج بالناس فاعلُ

ابن ليَ ما الحجاج بالناس فاعلُ

He said, having cast his anchors for hospitality,

He says, having anchored his camel:

"Tell me what al-Hajjaj is doing to the people."

"Tell me, how are people with pilgrimage?"

فَقلت لعمري ما لِهَذا طرقتنا

فَقلت لعمري ما لِهَذا طرقتنا

فكل ودع الحجاج ما أَنت آكلُ

فكل ودع الحجاج ما أَنت آكلُ

I said, "By my life, that is not why you came to us at night;

I said, by my life, why did you knock on our door?

so eat, and leave al-Hajjaj alone while you are eating."

Leave pilgrims be, you are not a feeder

أَتانا وَلَم يعدله سحبان وائل

أَتانا وَلَم يعدله سحبان وائل

بياناً وعلماً بِالَّذي هو قائلُ

بياناً وعلماً بِالَّذي هو قائلُ

He came to us, and Sahban Wa'il could not match him

He came to us, unmatched by Suhayban and Wael

in eloquence and knowledge of what he was saying.

In eloquence and knowledge of what he says

فَما زالَ عنه اللقم حتىّ كأَنه

فَما زالَ عنه اللقم حتىّ كأَنه

من العي لما أَن تكلم باقلُ

من العي لما أَن تكلم باقلُ

He kept taking mouthfuls until he seemed,

He did not stop eating until he seemed

when he spoke, as inarticulate as Baqil.

To have little wit for speaking so briefly