سَليask (addressing a woman) الطارِقَthe night visitor المُعتَرَّthe needy caller ياO أُمَّmother of مالِكٍMalik
سَلي الطارِقَ المُعتَرَّ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle أَتانيhe comes to me بَينَbetween قَدريmy cooking pot وَمَجزِريand my slaughtering place
إِذا ما أَتاني بَينَ قَدري وَمَجزِري
Ask the needy night visitor, O Umm Malik,
when he comes to me between my cooking pot and my slaughtering place,
أَيُسفِرُdoes ... brighten? وَجهيmy face إِنَّهُindeed, it is أَوَّلُthe first القِرىhospitality
أَيُسفِرُ وَجهي إِنَّهُ أَوَّلُ القِرى
وَأَبذُلُand I freely offer مَعروفيmy kindness لَهُto him دونَrather than مُنكَريmy ill-treatment
وَأَبذُلُ مَعروفي لَهُ دونَ مُنكَري
whether my face brightens—it is the first act of hospitality—
and I freely offer him my kindness, not my ill-treatment.