وَمَرَّ بِنا المُختارُ مُختارُ طَيِّئٍ

وَمَرَّ بِنا المُختارُ مُختارُ طَيِّئٍ

فَرَوّى مُشاشاً كانَ ظَمآنَ صادِيا

فَرَوّى مُشاشاً كانَ ظَمآنَ صادِيا

And there passed our way the chosen man—the choice of Tayy;

And al-Mukhtar passed by us—Mukhtar of Tayy—

he quenched his marrow, which had been thirsty and parched.

so he slaked his very bones, which had been thirsty and parched.

أَقَمنا لَهُ صَهباءَ كَالمِسكِ ريحُها

أَقَمنا لَهُ صَهباءَ كَالمِسكِ ريحُها

إِقامَتَهُ حَتّى تَرَحَّلَ غادِيا

إِقامَتَهُ حَتّى تَرَحَّلَ غادِيا

We kept tawny wine before him, its scent like musk,

We supplied him with tawny wine, its fragrance like musk,

throughout his stay, until he struck camp and set out at morning.

throughout his stay, until he departed in the morning.

فَسارَ وَقَد كانَت عَلَيهِ غَباوَةٌ

فَسارَ وَقَد كانَت عَلَيهِ غَباوَةٌ

يَخالُ حُزونَ الأَرضِ سَهلاً وَوادِيا

يَخالُ حُزونَ الأَرضِ سَهلاً وَوادِيا

Then he journeyed on with befuddlement upon him,

Then he went on, with a stupor now upon him,

taking the land’s rugged reaches for level plain and valley.

taking the earth’s rugged ground for level land and a valley.