تبيتُyou spend the night تَحلجُyou gin cotton طُولَthe whole length of الليلthe night مُنكَمشَاًhunched up
تبيتُ تَحلجُ طُولَ الليل مُنكَمشَاً
وبختيارُand Bakhtiyar يُنَاديcalls out أدركواrescue! (plural command) الغرقاthe drowning man
وبختيارُ يُنَادي أدركوا الغرقا
You spend the whole night hunched over, ginning cotton,
You spend the whole night ginning cotton, hunched up.
while Bakhtiyār cries, “Come save the drowning man!”
And Bakhtiyar calls out, “Rescue the drowning man!”
وقامand rose عمروʿAmr فأمَّتهso they headed toward him أَكُفُّpalms يدٍa hand
وقام عمرو فأمَّته أَكُفُّ يدٍ
لماwhen انثنىhe bent back أوor تَحسَّىhe sipped منهمُfrom them المرقاthe broth
لما انثنى أو تَحسَّى منهمُ المرقا
And ʿAmr rose; hands made straight for him
And ʿAmr rose, and a hand’s palms made for him,
when he bent over—or sipped their broth.
when he bent back, or sipped the broth from them.
إذاwhen هوىfell منهfrom him مِثلُsomething like الرُّمحthe spear واتسعتand it spread wide
إذا هوى منه مِثلُ الرُّمح واتسعت
كالتُّرسِlike a shield وافقَmatched شنُّShann (literally, a worn waterskin) عندهاat that point طبقاa lid
كالتُّرسِ وافقَ شنُّ عندها طبقا
When something like a spear dropped from him, and something widened
When something like a spear fell from him, and it spread wide
like a shield—then Shann found his match in Tabaqa.
like a shield—then Shann found a matching lid.
