جئتُه زائراً فانزلني الخانَ

جئتُه زائراً فانزلني الخانَ

أقاسي الأذى وبُغضَ الرفيقَِ

أقاسي الأذى وبُغضَ الرفيقَِ

I came to him as a visitor, but he lodged me at the inn,

I came to him as a visitor, so he lodged me in an inn

to suffer abuse and the loathing of my companion.

I suffered harm and the hatred of a companion

شُربي الآجِنُ الكريهُ وأكلي

شُربي الآجِنُ الكريهُ وأكلي

من طعامٍ يُعَدُّ لي في السوق

من طعامٍ يُعَدُّ لي في السوق

My drink was stagnant and foul, and my food

My drink was stale and foul, and my food

was fare prepared for me in the marketplace.

Was prepared for me in the marketplace

ومبيتٌ ماذا به يا أبا

ومبيتٌ ماذا به يا أبا

يعقوب من وَحْشَةٍ ونتْنٍ وضيقِ

يعقوب من وَحْشَةٍ ونتْنٍ وضيقِ

And my lodging—what it held, O Abu

And my night's rest - what was it, O Abu

Ya‘qub, of loneliness, stench, and confinement!

Yaqub, but discomfort, stench, and confinement

فَغَبَرْنا بذاك عشرين يوماً

فَغَبَرْنا بذاك عشرين يوماً

في صَبُوح من الأذى وغبوقُ

في صَبُوح من الأذى وغبوقُ

So we endured all that for twenty days,

Thus we remained for twenty days

with a morning draught of misery and an evening one.

In mornings of harm and gloom

ثم أعطى عطيّةً تُشبِهُ

ثم أعطى عطيّةً تُشبِهُ

الحرمان لم يُعطها بِوَجْه طليق

الحرمان لم يُعطها بِوَجْه طليق

Then he gave a gift resembling

Then he gave a gift resembling

deprivation, nor did he give it with a cheerful face.

Deprivation - he did not give it with an open face

فَحَسَبْتُ الذي أصبتُ فكان

فَحَسَبْتُ الذي أصبتُ فكان

الشطر مما أنفقتُه في طريقي

الشطر مما أنفقتُه في طريقي

I reckoned up what I had received, and it came to

So I counted what I had gained, and it was

half of what I had spent upon my journey.

Half of what I had spent on my journey