عَجِبتُ مِنَ السارينَ وَالريحُ قَرَّةٌ

عَجِبتُ مِنَ السارينَ وَالريحُ قَرَّةٌ

إِلى ضَوءِ نارٍ بَينَ فَردَةَ وَالرَحى

إِلى ضَوءِ نارٍ بَينَ فَردَةَ وَالرَحى

I marveled at those traveling by night, while the wind was bitterly cold,

I marveled at the bleary-eyed and the wind was a comfort

toward the glow of a fire between Fardah and al-Raha,

To the light of a fire between scattered embers and millstones

إِلى ضَوءِ نارٍ يَشتَوي القِدَّ أَهلُها

إِلى ضَوءِ نارٍ يَشتَوي القِدَّ أَهلُها

وَقَد يُكرَمُ الأَضيافُ وَالقِدُّ يُشتَوى

وَقَد يُكرَمُ الأَضيافُ وَالقِدُّ يُشتَوى

toward the glow of a fire whose people were roasting rawhide.

To the light of a fire where its people warmed the old meat

Yet guests may be honored even while rawhide is roasted.

And guests may be honored while the old meat is warmed

فَلَمّا أَتَونا فَاِشتَكَينا إِلَيهِمُ

فَلَمّا أَتَونا فَاِشتَكَينا إِلَيهِمُ

بَكَوا وَكِلا الحَيَّينِ مِمّا بِهِ بَكى

بَكَوا وَكِلا الحَيَّينِ مِمّا بِهِ بَكى

So when they came to us, we complained to them,

So when we came we complained to them

and they wept; each of the two parties wept for its own plight.

Both the living and the dead wept for what made them weep

بَكى مُعوِزٌ مِن أَن يُلامَ وَطارِقٌ

بَكى مُعوِزٌ مِن أَن يُلامَ وَطارِقٌ

يَشُدُّ مِنَ الجوعِ الإِزارَ عَلى الحَشا

يَشُدُّ مِنَ الجوعِ الإِزارَ عَلى الحَشا

A destitute man wept lest he be blamed, as did a night visitor

A needy one wept from being blamed and a visitor

who tightened his waistcloth over his belly from hunger.

Tightened from hunger his waistband over his waist

فَأَلطَفتُ عَيني هَل أَرى مِن سَمينَةٍ

فَأَلطَفتُ عَيني هَل أَرى مِن سَمينَةٍ

وَوَطَّنتُ نَفسي لِلغَرامَةِ وَالقِرى

وَوَطَّنتُ نَفسي لِلغَرامَةِ وَالقِرى

So I cast a searching eye: could I see any fat she-camel?

So I glanced, would I see a plump girl

And I braced myself to pay compensation and provide hospitality.

And I resigned myself to fines and ransom

فَأَبصَرتُها كَوماءَ ذاتَ عَريكَةٍ

فَأَبصَرتُها كَوماءَ ذاتَ عَريكَةٍ

هِجاناً مِنَ اللاتي تَمَتَّعنَ بِالصُوى

هِجاناً مِنَ اللاتي تَمَتَّعنَ بِالصُوى

Then I spotted her, high-humped, with a fleshy hump,

Then I saw her, a heap with protruding ribcage

a white thoroughbred, one of those that thrived by being left unmilked.

Agitated, one of those who enjoyed pillows

فَأَومَأتُ إيماءً خَفِيّاً لِحَبتَرٍ

فَأَومَأتُ إيماءً خَفِيّاً لِحَبتَرٍ

وَلِلَّهِ عَينا حَبتَرٍ أَيُّما فَتى

وَلِلَّهِ عَينا حَبتَرٍ أَيُّما فَتى

So I gave Habtar a discreet signal,

So I gestured discreetly to Habtar

and God bless Habtar's eyes—what a fine young man!

By God, Habtar's eyes, what a gallant man

وَقُلتُ لَهُ أَلصِق بِأَيبَسِ ساقِها

وَقُلتُ لَهُ أَلصِق بِأَيبَسِ ساقِها

فَإِن يَجبُرِ العُرقوبُ لا يَرقَإِ النَسا

فَإِن يَجبُرِ العُرقوبُ لا يَرقَإِ النَسا

I told him: Press your blade against the driest part of her leg,

And I said to him, attach yourself to her brittle shin

for if the hock tendon heals, the sciatic vein will not stop bleeding.

For if the shackles are forced, women do not object

فَأَعجَبَني مِن حَبتَرٍ أَنَّ حَبتَراً

فَأَعجَبَني مِن حَبتَرٍ أَنَّ حَبتَراً

مَضى غَيرَ مَنكوبٍ وَمُنصُلَهُ اِنتَضى

مَضى غَيرَ مَنكوبٍ وَمُنصُلَهُ اِنتَضى

What pleased me about Habtar was that Habtar

So I admired Habtar that Habtar

advanced undeterred and unsheathed his blade.

Went without being struck and his knife unsheathed

كَأَنّي وَقَد أَشبَعتُهُم مِن سَنامِها

كَأَنّي وَقَد أَشبَعتُهُم مِن سَنامِها

جَلَوتُ غِطاءً عَن فُؤادِيَ فَاِنجَلى

جَلَوتُ غِطاءً عَن فُؤادِيَ فَاِنجَلى

It was as though, having fed them their fill from her hump,

As if after satiating them on her hump

I had lifted a veil from my heart, and it cleared.

I uncovered a veil from my heart so it shone

فَبِتنا وَباتَت قِدرُنا ذاتَ هِزَّةٍ

فَبِتنا وَباتَت قِدرُنا ذاتَ هِزَّةٍ

لَنا قَبلَ ما فيها شِواءٌ وَمُصطَلى

لَنا قَبلَ ما فيها شِواءٌ وَمُصطَلى

So we spent the night, and our pot spent it quivering;

So we passed the night while our pot had unsteadiness

we had roast meat and a warming fire before its contents were ready.

For us before what was in it was roasted and drained

وَأَصبَحَ راعينا بُرَيمَةُ عِندَنا

وَأَصبَحَ راعينا بُرَيمَةُ عِندَنا

بِسِتّينَ أَنقَتها الأَخِلَّةُ وَالخَلا

بِسِتّينَ أَنقَتها الأَخِلَّةُ وَالخَلا

By morning our shepherd Buraymah was with us,

And in the morning our shepherd was with us

with sixty camels, fattened by weaning pegs and fresh grass.

With sixty she-camels whose udders sagged

فَقُلتُ لِرَبِّ النابِ خُذها ثَنِيَّةً

فَقُلتُ لِرَبِّ النابِ خُذها ثَنِيَّةً

وَنابٌ عَلَينا مِثلُ نابِكَ في الحَيا

وَنابٌ عَلَينا مِثلُ نابِكَ في الحَيا

So I told the old she-camel's owner: 'Take this she-camel in her sixth year,

So I said to the master of the camels, take them in pairs

and we owe you an old she-camel like yours when the rains come.'

And a camel for us like your camels in life

يُشَبُّ لِرَكبٍ مِنهُمُ مِن وَرائِهِم

يُشَبُّ لِرَكبٍ مِنهُمُ مِن وَرائِهِم

فَكُلُّهُمُ أَمسى إِلى ضَوئها سَرى

فَكُلُّهُمُ أَمسى إِلى ضَوئها سَرى

A fire is kindled for a mounted party of their people following behind them,

It bears for a group of them from behind them

so when evening fell, they all traveled by night toward its light.

So all of them by evening came to its light