سَأَلنا عَن أَبي السَحماءِ حَتّى

سَأَلنا عَن أَبي السَحماءِ حَتّى

أَتَينا خَيرَ مَطروقٍ لِساري

أَتَينا خَيرَ مَطروقٍ لِساري

We kept asking after Abu al-Sahma, until

We asked after Abū al-Saḥmāʾ until

we reached the noblest host a night traveler could call upon.

we reached the finest host for a traveler by night.

فَقُلنا يا أَبا السَحماءِ إِنّا

فَقُلنا يا أَبا السَحماءِ إِنّا

وَجَدنا الأَزدَ أَبعَدَ مِن نِزارِ

وَجَدنا الأَزدَ أَبعَدَ مِن نِزارِ

We said, “Abu al-Sahma, indeed we

Then we said, “O Abū al-Saḥmāʾ, indeed we

have found al-Azd farther away than Nizar.”

have found the Azd farther away than Nizār.”

فَقامَ يَجُرُّ مِن عَجَلٍ إِلَينا

فَقامَ يَجُرُّ مِن عَجَلٍ إِلَينا

أَسابِيَّ النُعاسِ مَعَ الإِزارِ

أَسابِيَّ النُعاسِ مَعَ الإِزارِ

At once he rose, dragging toward us in his haste

So he rose, hastily dragging toward us

the lingering tatters of sleep along with his waist-wrapper.

the trailing fringes of drowsiness along with his waistcloth.

وَقامَ إِلى سُلافَةِ مُسلَحِبٍّ

وَقامَ إِلى سُلافَةِ مُسلَحِبٍّ

رَثيمَ الأَنفِ مَربوبٍ بِقارِ

رَثيمَ الأَنفِ مَربوبٍ بِقارِ

Then he went to a choice, long-bodied she-camel,

And he turned to the choice wine in a tall vessel,

her nose scarred and dressed with pitch.

broken-nosed and coated with pitch.

تُمالُ عَلَيهُمُ وَالقِدرُ تَغلي

تُمالُ عَلَيهُمُ وَالقِدرُ تَغلي

بِأَبيَضَ مِن سَديفِ الشولِ واري

بِأَبيَضَ مِن سَديفِ الشولِ واري

She was felled for them while the cauldron boiled

The wine was poured for them while the cauldron boiled

with something whiter than the rich hump-fat of milk-dry she-camels.

with rich white hump-fat from dry she-camels.

كَأَنَّ تَطَلُّعَ التَرغيبِ فيها

كَأَنَّ تَطَلُّعَ التَرغيبِ فيها

عَذارٍ يَطَّلِعنَ إِلى عَذارِ

عَذارٍ يَطَّلِعنَ إِلى عَذارِ

It was as though the yearning gaze cast into it were

It was as though the tempting morsels rising within it

maidens peering out toward ʿAdhār.

were maidens peering out at other maidens.