أَنَخنا بِبَيتِ الزِبرِقانِ وَلَيتَنا

أَنَخنا بِبَيتِ الزِبرِقانِ وَلَيتَنا

مَضَينَ فَقِلنا وَسطَ بَيتِ المُخَبَّلِ

مَضَينَ فَقِلنا وَسطَ بَيتِ المُخَبَّلِ

We made our camels kneel at al-Zibriqan’s house—and would that we

We stopped at the house of Al-Zubairqan while we were in movement

had gone on, then rested at midday within al-Mukhabbal’s house.

We stayed for a while in the midst of the perfumed house

ظَلِلنا لَدَيهِ نَستَقي بِحَبالِنا

ظَلِلنا لَدَيهِ نَستَقي بِحَبالِنا

بِذي المَتنِ مِنها وَالضَعيفِ المُوَصَّلِ

بِذي المَتنِ مِنها وَالضَعيفِ المُوَصَّلِ

We spent the day with him, drawing water with our own ropes,

We sought shade near it and drew water with our water-skin ropes

with the stout one among them and the weak, spliced one.

From its plentiful and weak interconnected water supply

وَما الزِبرِقانُ يَومَ يَحرِمُ ضَيفَهُ

وَما الزِبرِقانُ يَومَ يَحرِمُ ضَيفَهُ

بِمُحتَسَبِ التَقوى وَلا مُتَوَكِّلِ

بِمُحتَسَبِ التَقوى وَلا مُتَوَكِّلِ

And al-Zibriqan, when he denies his guest hospitality,

Al-Zubairqan does not refuse his guest on the day

is neither reckoned pious nor trusting in God,

Of the God-fearing ascetic or the trusting worshipper

وَلا عالِمٍ ما في غَدٍ غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

وَلا عالِمٍ ما في غَدٍ غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

يُرَفِّعُ أَعضادَ الحِياضِ بِمِعوَلِ

يُرَفِّعُ أَعضادَ الحِياضِ بِمِعوَلِ

nor does he know what tomorrow holds, except that he

Nor the knowledgeable man, for none but He knows what tomorrow holds

builds up the sides of the watering basins with a pickaxe.

Except that he will raise up the ridges of the pond with his pick

مُقيمٌ عَلى بُنيانَ يَمنَعُ مائَهُ

مُقيمٌ عَلى بُنيانَ يَمنَعُ مائَهُ

وَماءُ وَسيعٍ ماءُ عَطشانَ مُرمِلِ

وَماءُ وَسيعٍ ماءُ عَطشانَ مُرمِلِ

He persists in building, withholding his water;

Firmly established upon a building, preventing its water

and Wasiʿ’s water is the water of a thirsty, destitute man.

Plentiful water - the water of a thirsty, diseased woman

وَظَلَّ يُناجي أُمَّ شَذرَةَ قاعِداً

وَظَلَّ يُناجي أُمَّ شَذرَةَ قاعِداً

كَأَنَّ عَلى شُرسوفِها كُرزَ حَنظَلِ

كَأَنَّ عَلى شُرسوفِها كُرزَ حَنظَلِ

And he spent the day sitting, whispering to Umm Shadhra,

He remained conversing with Umm Shathara sitting

as though a sack of colocynth lay upon her rib cartilage.

As if bitter colocynth were upon her window sill

فَأَنتَ الفِداءُ لِاِبنِ هَوذَةَ إِنَّهُ

فَأَنتَ الفِداءُ لِاِبنِ هَوذَةَ إِنَّهُ

قَرانا فَلَم يَبخَل وَلَم يَتَعَلَّلِ

قَرانا فَلَم يَبخَل وَلَم يَتَعَلَّلِ

So may you be the ransom for Ibn Hawdha, for he

You are the redemption for Ibn Hawdha's son, for he

fed us as guests, neither stinting nor making excuses.

Hosted us without stinginess or making excuses

ظَلِلنا لَدَيهِ في شِواءٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

ظَلِلنا لَدَيهِ في شِواءٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

وَظَلَّت رِكابِي في سَرِيٍّ وَجَدوَلِ

وَظَلَّت رِكابِي في سَرِيٍّ وَجَدوَلِ

We spent the day with him amid roast meat and plenty,

We took shade near him during torrid heat and abundance

and my riding camels spent the day beside a brook and a watercourse.

While my feet remained in a meadow and a stream