وَمَرهَنَةٌ عِندَ الغُرابِ حَبيبَهُ

وَمَرهَنَةٌ عِندَ الغُرابِ حَبيبَهُ

فَأَوفَيتُ مَرهوناً وَخَلَفاً مُسابِيا

فَأَوفَيتُ مَرهوناً وَخَلَفاً مُسابِيا

And in the raven’s keeping, pledged, was his beloved;

And the crow's beloved companion was held in pledge;

so I made good what was pledged, standing surety for my racing rival.

so I fulfilled my part as a hostage and a captive substitute.

أَدَلَّ عَلَيَّ الديكُ إِنّي كَما تَرى

أَدَلَّ عَلَيَّ الديكُ إِنّي كَما تَرى

فَأَقبِل عَلى شَأَني وَهاكَ رِدائِيا

فَأَقبِل عَلى شَأَني وَهاكَ رِدائِيا

The rooster presumed upon his familiarity with me: “I am, as you see—

The rooster presumed on me: “I am as you see;

so attend to my business, and here, take my cloak.

so attend to my affair, and take my cloak.

أَمِنتُكَ لا تَلبَث مِن الدَهرِ ساعَةً

أَمِنتُكَ لا تَلبَث مِن الدَهرِ ساعَةً

وَلا نِصفَها حَتّى تَؤوبَ مُآبِيا

وَلا نِصفَها حَتّى تَؤوبَ مُآبِيا

I trust you: do not tarry even an hour,

I have trusted you; do not linger even an hour,

nor half of one, before you return to me.

nor half of one, before returning to my abode.

وَلا تُدرِ كَنكَ الشَمسُ عِند طُلوعِها

وَلا تُدرِ كَنكَ الشَمسُ عِند طُلوعِها

فَأَعلَقَ فيهِم أَو يَطولَ ثَوائِيا

فَأَعلَقَ فيهِم أَو يَطولَ ثَوائِيا

And let not the sun overtake you at its rising,

And let not the sun catch you at its rising,

lest I be caught among them, or my stay grow long.”

lest I be detained among them, or my stay grow long.”

فَرَدَّ الغُرابُ وَالرِداءُ يَحوزَهُ

فَرَدَّ الغُرابُ وَالرِداءُ يَحوزَهُ

إِلى الديكِ وَعداً كاذِباً وَأَمانِيا

إِلى الديكِ وَعداً كاذِباً وَأَمانِيا

The raven answered, still holding the cloak,

Then the crow, with the cloak in his possession, gave

giving the rooster a false promise and empty hopes:

the rooster a false promise and vain hopes:

فَأَيَّةِ ذَنبٍ أَم بِأَيَّةِ حُجَةٍ

فَأَيَّةِ ذَنبٍ أَم بِأَيَّةِ حُجَةٍ

أَدعُكَ فَلا تَدعو عَليَّ وَلالِيا

أَدعُكَ فَلا تَدعو عَليَّ وَلالِيا

“For what sin—or on what plea—

“For what fault, or on what grounds,

would I abandon you? Call no avengers against me.

would I leave you? So call neither against me nor for me.

فَإِنّي نَذَرتُ حِجَةً لَن أَعوقَها

فَإِنّي نَذَرتُ حِجَةً لَن أَعوقَها

فَلا تَدعوَنيَّ دَعوةً مِن وَرائِيا

فَلا تَدعوَنيَّ دَعوةً مِن وَرائِيا

For I have vowed a pilgrimage that I shall not delay;

For I have vowed a pilgrimage that I will not delay;

so do not call after me from behind.

so do not call out to me from behind.

تَطيرتُ مِنها وَالدُعاءَ يَعوقَني

تَطيرتُ مِنها وَالدُعاءَ يَعوقَني

وَأَزمَعتُ حَجاً أَن أَطيرَ أَماميا

وَأَزمَعتُ حَجاً أَن أَطيرَ أَماميا

I take that call as an ill omen, and it holds me back,

I have taken ill omen from it, and the call holds me back;

though I have resolved on pilgrimage and on flying straight ahead.

and I have resolved on pilgrimage, to fly ahead.

فَلا تَبتَئِس إِنّي مَعَ الصُبحِ باكِرٌ

فَلا تَبتَئِس إِنّي مَعَ الصُبحِ باكِرٌ

أُوافي غَدَاً نَحوَ الحَجِيجِ الغَوادِيا

أُوافي غَدَاً نَحوَ الحَجِيجِ الغَوادِيا

Do not grieve: at daybreak I shall set out early,

So do not grieve; I shall set out early with the dawn,

and tomorrow join the pilgrims journeying at dawn,

and come tomorrow to the pilgrims departing early,

لِحُبِ اِمرِئٍ فاكَهتُهُ قَبلَ حِجَتي

لِحُبِ اِمرِئٍ فاكَهتُهُ قَبلَ حِجَتي

وَآثَرتُ عَمداً شَأنَهُ قَبلَ شانِيا

وَآثَرتُ عَمداً شَأنَهُ قَبلَ شانِيا

for love of a man I befriended before my pilgrimage,

for love of a man with whom I jested before my pilgrimage;

whose affairs I deliberately placed before my own.”

and I deliberately put his affair before my own.”

هُنالِكَ ظَنَّ الدِيكُ إِذ دالَ دَولةٌ

هُنالِكَ ظَنَّ الدِيكُ إِذ دالَ دَولةٌ

وَطالَ عَليهِ اللَيلَ أَن لا مَغارِيا

وَطالَ عَليهِ اللَيلَ أَن لا مَغارِيا

Thereupon the rooster thought, as fortune turned,

Then the rooster thought, as fortune turned

and the night drew long for him, that there was no escape.

and the night dragged on for him, “There is no escape for me.”

فَلَمّا أَضاءَ الصُبحُ طَرَّبَ صَرخَةً

فَلَمّا أَضاءَ الصُبحُ طَرَّبَ صَرخَةً

أَلا يا غُرابُ هَل سَمِعتَ نِدائِيا

أَلا يا غُرابُ هَل سَمِعتَ نِدائِيا

But when dawn shone, he trilled out a cry:

So when dawn shone, he gave a ringing cry:

“Hark, raven! Have you heard my call?”

“Hark, O crow! Have you heard my call?”

عَلى وُدِّهِ لَو كانَ ثُمَّ مُجيبَهُ

عَلى وُدِّهِ لَو كانَ ثُمَّ مُجيبَهُ

وَكانَ لَهُ نَدمانَ صِدقٍ مواتِيا

وَكانَ لَهُ نَدمانَ صِدقٍ مواتِيا

Out of affection he called—if only someone there had answered him,

Out of his affection—if only someone had answered him then,

if only he had had a faithful, congenial boon-companion.

and been a true, obliging drinking companion to him!

وَأَمى الغُرابُ يَضرِبُ الأَرضَ كُلَّها

وَأَمى الغُرابُ يَضرِبُ الأَرضَ كُلَّها

عَتيقاً وَأَضحى الديكُ في القِدِ عانِيا

عَتيقاً وَأَضحى الديكُ في القِدِ عانِيا

But off went the raven, ranging over the whole earth,

And the crow [perhaps: spent the evening] ranging over all the earth,

free, while the rooster became a captive in the leather thong.

free, while by morning the rooster was captive in leather bonds.

فَذلِكَ مِما أَسهَبَ الخَمرُ لُبَّهُ

فَذلِكَ مِما أَسهَبَ الخَمرُ لُبَّهُ

وَنادَمُ نِدماناً مِنَ الطَيرِ غاوِيا

وَنادَمُ نِدماناً مِنَ الطَيرِ غاوِيا

That, then, is one whose reason wine swept away,

So that came of wine's befuddling his mind,

who drank with a wayward boon-companion from among the birds.

and his drinking with a wayward companion among the birds.

وَما ذاكَ إِلاّ الديكُ شارِبُ خَمرَةٍ

وَما ذاكَ إِلاّ الديكُ شارِبُ خَمرَةٍ

نَديمُ غُرابٍ لا يَمَلُّ الحَوانِيا

نَديمُ غُرابٍ لا يَمَلُّ الحَوانِيا

It was none other than the rooster, a drinker of wine,

And that was none other than the rooster, a drinker of wine,

the raven’s boon-companion, never weary of taverns.

the drinking companion of a crow who never tires of taverns.