قَراناhe fed us as guests بُقولاًgreens إِذwhen أَنَخناwe made our camels kneel بِبابِهِat his door
قَرانا بُقولاً إِذ أَنَخنا بِبابِهِ
فَأَصبَحَso he became فيناon our account ظالِماًunjust لِلبَهائِمِto the beasts
فَأَصبَحَ فينا ظالِماً لِلبَهائِمِ
He served us greens when we made our camels kneel at his door,
We halted at his abode at night to ask of him the traces,
thus wronging the beasts on our account.
While we were mounted on the backs of swift she-camels.
وَقَفناwe halted عَلَيهِbefore him الرَكبَthe caravan نَسأَلُهُasking him for القِرىhospitality
وَقَفنا عَلَيهِ الرَكبَ نَسأَلُهُ القِرى
وَنَحنُwhile we عَلىupon أَعناقِthe necks of أَغبَرَa dust-cloud قائِمِrising
وَنَحنُ عَلى أَعناقِ أَغبَرَ قائِمِ
We halted our caravan before him, asking him for hospitality,
So he observed a fast - but night-fasting is unlawful;
while we rode the necks of a rising dust-cloud.
And even if lawful with immoral rascals and profligates,
فَصامَso he fasted وَصَومُand fasting اللَيلِat night لَيسَis not بِجائِزٍpermissible
فَصامَ وَصَومُ اللَيلِ لَيسَ بِجائِزٍ
وَإِنand even if جازَit was permissible فيin فِقهِthe jurisprudence of اللِئامِthe misers الأَشائِمِill-omened
وَإِن جازَ في فِقهِ اللِئامِ الأَشائِمِ
So he fasted—though fasting at night is not permitted,
He allowed night-fasting only when provoked
even if allowed in the jurisprudence of ill-omened misers.
By the approach of a guest in the gloom of night.
أَجازَhe declared permissible صِيامَfasting اللَيلِat night حينَwhen اِستَفَزَّهُalarmed him
أَجازَ صِيامَ اللَيلِ حينَ اِستَفَزَّهُ
تَعاوُرَsuccessive arrivals of ضَيفٍguests فيin دُجىthe darkness of اللَيلِthe night عائِمِswimming
تَعاوُرَ ضَيفٍ في دُجى اللَيلِ عائِمِ
He declared night-fasting lawful when he was alarmed
So we spent the night, traversing the wilderness,
by guests arriving in succession, swimming through the night's gloom.
As though we were crossing the back of a dusty, grimy lizard.
فَبِتناso we spent the night أَديمَthe whole span of اللَيلِthe night نَطويwe folded our bellies عَلىover الطَوىhunger
فَبِتنا أَديمَ اللَيلِ نَطوي عَلى الطَوى
كَأَنّاas though we were عَلىupon غَبراءَa dusty waste مِنof ظَهرِthe back of واشِمِWashim
كَأَنّا عَلى غَبراءَ مِن ظَهرِ واشِمِ
So we passed the whole night, our bellies folded over hunger,
And when at dawn we set off from the darkness,
as though on a dusty waste upon Washim's back.
He fed us with bowls that stick in no feeder's gullet -
وَأَطعَمَناand he fed us لَمّاwhen مَرَقناwe emerged مِنَfrom الدُجىthe darkness
وَأَطعَمَنا لَمّا مَرَقنا مِنَ الدُجى
دَحاريجَlittle round lumps لاnot تَنساقُpass smoothly فيthrough حَلقِthe throat of طاعِمِan eater
دَحاريجَ لا تَنساقُ في حَلقِ طاعِمِ
And when we emerged from the darkness, he fed us
Rounded, blackened pots that looked as if
little round lumps that would not slide down an eater's throat,
They were scrotums of a Zanji under the penis of a led horse.
مُدَوَّرَةًrounded سودَblack المُتونِthe backs كَأَنَّهاas though they were
مُدَوَّرَةً سودَ المُتونِ كَأَنَّها
خُصىthe testicles of الزُنجِthe Zanj لاحَتappeared تَحتَbeneath فيشِpenises قَوائِمِerect
خُصى الزُنجِ لاحَت تَحتَ فيشِ قَوائِمِ
rounded, black-backed, as though they were
Their tops told of scorpion stings
the Zanj's testicles, showing beneath erect penises.
Their bottoms reminded of buzzing flies.
فَأَبشارُهاand their skins تَحكيresemble بُطونَthe bellies of عَقارِبٍscorpions
فَأَبشارُها تَحكي بُطونَ عَقارِبٍ
وَأَرأُسُهاand their heads تَحكيresemble أُنوفَthe nozzles of مَحاجِمِcupping vessels
وَأَرأُسُها تَحكي أُنوفَ مَحاجِمِ
And their skins resemble the bellies of scorpions,
and their heads resemble the nozzles of cupping vessels.
Partial English translation: 14 of 16 Arabic lines translated.