قَراناhe fed us as guests بُقولاًgreens إِذwhen أَنَخناwe made our camels kneel بِبابِهِat his door
قَرانا بُقولاً إِذ أَنَخنا بِبابِهِ
فَأَصبَحَso he became فيناthrough us ظالِماًunjust لِلبَهائِمِtoward the beasts
فَأَصبَحَ فينا ظالِماً لِلبَهائِمِ
He served us greens when we made our mounts kneel at his door,
He served us greens when we made our camels kneel at his door,
And so, among us, he became an oppressor of beasts.
and so, through us, he wronged the beasts.
وَقَفناwe halted عَلَيهِbefore him الرَكبَthe caravan نَسأَلُهُasking him القِرىhospitality
وَقَفنا عَلَيهِ الرَكبَ نَسأَلُهُ القِرى
وَنَحنُand we عَلىon أَعناقِthe necks or crests of أَغبَرَa gray dust-cloud قائِمِrising
وَنَحنُ عَلى أَعناقِ أَغبَرَ قائِمِ
We halted the caravan at his place, asking him for hospitality,
We halted the caravan before him, asking him for hospitality,
While we sat astride the necks of dusty mounts standing there.
while we rode the crests of a rising gray dust-cloud.
فَصامَso he fasted وَصَومُand fasting اللَيلِthe night لَيسَis not بِجائِزٍlawful
فَصامَ وَصَومُ اللَيلِ لَيسَ بِجائِزٍ
وَإِنand even if جازَit was permitted فيin فِقهِthe jurisprudence of اللِئامِthe base men الأَشائِمِthe ill-omened
وَإِن جازَ في فِقهِ اللِئامِ الأَشائِمِ
So he fasted—though fasting by night is not permitted,
So he fasted—though fasting at night is not lawful,
Even if permitted in the jurisprudence of ill-omened misers.
even if permitted in the jurisprudence of base, ill-omened men.
أَجازَhe permitted صِيامَfasting اللَيلِthe night حينَwhen اِستَفَزَّهُit disturbed him
أَجازَ صِيامَ اللَيلِ حينَ اِستَفَزَّهُ
تَعاوُرَrepeated visits by ضَيفٍa guest فيin دُجىthe darkness of اللَيلِthe night عائِمِswimming
تَعاوُرَ ضَيفٍ في دُجى اللَيلِ عائِمِ
He declared fasting by night permissible when he was alarmed
He sanctioned fasting at night when he was disturbed by
By the repeated arrival of a guest swimming through the night's darkness.
the repeated visits of a guest swimming through the night’s darkness.
فَبِتناso we spent the night أَديمَthe whole span of اللَيلِthe night نَطويwe fold our bellies عَلىupon الطَوىhunger
فَبِتنا أَديمَ اللَيلِ نَطوي عَلى الطَوى
كَأَنّاas though we عَلىon غَبراءَdusty ground مِنof ظَهرِthe back of واشِمِWashim
كَأَنّا عَلى غَبراءَ مِن ظَهرِ واشِمِ
Thus we spent the whole night, folding hunger upon hunger,
So we spent the whole night, our bellies folded upon hunger,
As though we lay on dusty ground patterned like a tattooer's back.
as though on dusty ground upon Washim’s back.
وَأَطعَمَناand he fed us لَمّاwhen مَرَقناwe emerged مِنَfrom الدُجىthe darkness
وَأَطعَمَنا لَمّا مَرَقنا مِنَ الدُجى
دَحاريجَsmall rounded lumps لاnot تَنساقُslide along فيinto حَلقِthe throat of طاعِمِan eater
دَحاريجَ لا تَنساقُ في حَلقِ طاعِمِ
And when we emerged from the darkness, he fed us
And when we emerged from the darkness, he fed us
Little round pellets that would not pass down an eater's throat,
little balls that would not slide down an eater’s throat,
مُدَوَّرَةًrounded سودَblack المُتونِbacks كَأَنَّهاas though they were
مُدَوَّرَةً سودَ المُتونِ كَأَنَّها
خُصىtesticles of الزُنجِthe Zanj لاحَتappeared تَحتَbeneath فيشِpenises قَوائِمِerect
خُصى الزُنجِ لاحَت تَحتَ فيشِ قَوائِمِ
Round and black-backed, as though they were
rounded, black-backed, as though they were
The testicles of Zanj men showing beneath erect phalluses.
Zanj men’s testicles, showing beneath erect penises.
فَأَبشارُهاso their skins تَحكيresemble بُطونَthe bellies of عَقارِبٍscorpions
فَأَبشارُها تَحكي بُطونَ عَقارِبٍ
وَأَرأُسُهاand their heads تَحكيresemble أُنوفَthe nozzles of مَحاجِمِcupping vessels
وَأَرأُسُها تَحكي أُنوفَ مَحاجِمِ
Their skins resemble the underbellies of scorpions,
So their skins resemble scorpions’ bellies,
And their heads resemble the noses of cupping cups.
and their heads resemble the nozzles of cupping vessels.
