Sindbad the Sailor (السندباد البحري) — Page 13

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

قَالَ فَاعْتَذَرَ إِلَى الْخَادِمِ مُحَاوِلًا أَنْ يُفْلِتَ مِنْ يَدِهِ، فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا، فَذَهَبَ مَعَهُ خَائِفًا يَتَوَقَّعُ الشَّرَّ. (٤) فِي حَضْرَةِ السِّنْدِبَادِ.

He spoke and apologized to the servant, attempting to escape from his hand, but he could find no way to do so, so he went with him, afraid, expecting the worst.

وَسَارَ الْحَمَّالُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ غُرْفَةً فَخْمَةً فِي وَسَطِهَا مَائِدَةٌ حَوَتْ مَا لَذَّ مِنْ أَطْيَبِ الْأَطْعِمَةِ وَالْأَشْرِبَةِ وَالْفَاكِهَةِ وَالنُّقْلِ.

The porter walked with him until he reached a luxurious room in the middle of which was a table containing the most delicious foods, drinks, fruits, and nuts.

وَرَأَى جَمَاعَةً مِنْ سَرَاةِ الْقَوْمِ، كَمَا رَأَى فِي صَدْرِ الْمَجْلِسِ رَجُلًا حَسَنَ الصُّورَةِ جَلِيلَ الْقَدْرِ مَهِيبَ الطَّلْعَةِ وَقَدْ بَدَا فِي لِحْيَتِهِ الشَّيْبُ، فَعَرَفَ أَنَّهُ السِّنْدِبَادُ صَاحِبُ الْقَصْرِ.

He saw a group of the nobles of the people, and he also saw at the head of the gathering a man of good appearance, majestic status, and imposing countenance, with grey hair appearing in his beard, and he knew that he was Sinbad, the owner of the palace.

فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ - وَهُوَ مُنَكِّسٌ رَأْسَهُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْخَجَلِ - فَهَشَّ إِلَيْهِ السِّنْدِبَادُ وَقَرَّبَهُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى أَذْهَبَ عَنْهُ خَوْفَهُ، وَدَعَاهُ إِلَى الطَّعَامِ فَأَكَلَ حَتَّى شَبِعَ.

He greeted them while lowering his head from intense shyness, so Sinbad welcomed him and brought him near until he removed his fear, and invited him to eat, so he ate until he was full.

فَسَأَلَهُ السِّنْدِبَادُ الْبَحْرِيُّ عَنِ اسْمِهِ وَصِنَاعَتِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: أَعِدْ عَلَيَّ الْآنَ مَا كُنْتَ تَقُولُهُ - مُنْذُ زَمَنٍ يَسِيرٍ - تَحْتَ الْقَصْرِ!

Sinbad the Sailor asked him about his name and profession, then said to him: 'Repeat to me now what you were saying a short while ago under the palace!'

هُنَالِكَ ارْتَبَكَ الْحَمَّالُ وَبَدَتْ عَلَيْهِ دَلَائِلُ الْحَيْرَةِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: مَعْذِرَةً يَا سَيِّدِي، فَقَدْ دَفَعَنِي مَا أُعَانِيهِ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ، وَمَا أُكَابِدُهُ مِنَ الْمَتَاعِبِ، إِلَى التَّفَوُّهِ بِمَا قُلْتُ، فَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ إِسَاءَتِي وَلَا تُؤَاخِذْنِي بِمَا فَرَطَ مِنِّي!

There, the porter became confused and signs of bewilderment appeared on him, then he said to him: 'My apologies, my master, for what I suffer of poverty and what I endure of troubles drove me to utter what I said, so overlook my offense and do not blame me for what I have committed!'

فَقَالَ لَهُ السِّنْدِبَادُ: إِنِّي لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُؤَاخِذَكَ بِشَيْءٍ مِمَّا قُلْتَ، وَإِنَّمَا أَشْفَقْتُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَثَيْتُ لَكَ، وَقَدْ صِرْتَ لِي - مُنْذُ الْيَوْمِ - أَخًا وَصَدِيقًا.

Sinbad said to him: 'I do not want to blame you for anything you said, but I felt pity for you and sympathized with you, and you have become to me, from today, a brother and a friend.'

وَلَكِنَّنِي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُبَيِّنَ لَكَ حَقِيقَةً غَابَتْ عَنْكَ، وَأُزِيلَ مَا عَلِقَ بِذِهْنِكَ مِنَ الْوَهْمِ، فَقَدْ ظَنَنْتَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الثَّرْوَةَ الطَّائِلَةَ قَدْ جَاءَتْنِي دُونَ مَشَقَّةٍ أَوْ عَنَاءٍ.

But I want to clarify to you a truth that was absent from you, and remove what has stuck in your mind of illusion, for you thought that this vast wealth came to me without hardship or toil.

مَعَ أَنَّنِي لَمْ أَحْصُلْ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَنْ قَاسَيْتُ مِنَ الْمَصَاعِبِ وَلَاقَيْتُ مِنَ الْأَهْوَالِ مَا يَعْجِزُ عَنْهُ الْوَصْفُ.

Even though I did not obtain it except after I endured difficulties and encountered terrors that description cannot capture.

وَسَأَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مَا حَدَثَ لِي فِي أَسْفَارِي السَّبْعَةِ، وَمَا تَعَرَّضْتُ لَهُ مِنَ الْمَهَالِكِ وَالْمَخَاطِرِ الَّتِي تَشِيبُ مِنْ هَوْلِهَا الْوِلْدَانُ، لِتُدْرِكَ بِنَفْسِكَ مِقْدَارَ مَا عَانَيْتُ مِنَ الْمَتَاعِبِ حَتَّى وَصَلْتُ إِلَى هَذِهِ السَّعَادَةِ الَّتِي تَرَاهَا وَتَعْجَبُ مِنْهَا.

And I will narrate to you what happened to me in my seven voyages, and what I was exposed to of perils and dangers that make children turn grey from their terror, so that you may realize for yourself the extent of what I suffered of troubles until I reached this happiness that you see and wonder at.

Vocabulary · المفردات (54 verbs · 68 nouns)

• قَالَ — to say
• اِعْتَذَرَ — to apologize
• حَاوَلَ — to attempt
• أَفْلَتَ — to escape
• اِسْتَطَاعَ — to be able
• ذَهَبَ — to go
• تَوَقَّعَ — to expect
• سَارَ — to walk
• بَلَغَ — to reach
• حَوَى — to contain
• لَذَّ — to be delicious
• رَأَى — to see
• بَدَا — to appear
• عَرَفَ — to know
• سَلَّمَ — to greet
• نَكَّسَ — to lower
• هَشَّ — to welcome
• قَرَّبَ — to bring near
• أَذْهَبَ — to remove
• دَعَا — to invite
• أَكَلَ — to eat
• شَبِعَ — to be full
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• أَعَادَ — to repeat
• كَانَ — to be
• اِرْتَبَكَ — to be confused
• دَفَعَ — to push
• عَانَى — to suffer
• كَابَدَ — to endure
• تَفَوَّهَ — to utter
• تَجَاوَزَ — to overlook
• فَرَطَ — to exceed
• أَرَادَ — to want
• آخَذَ — to blame
• أَشْفَقَ — to pity
• رَثَى — to sympathize
• صَارَ — to become
• بَيَّنَ — to clarify
• غَابَ — to be absent
• أَزَالَ — to remove
• عَلِقَ — to stick
• ظَنَّ — to think
• جَاءَ — to come
• حَصَلَ — to obtain
• قَاسَى — to endure
• لَاقَى — to encounter
• عَجَزَ — to be unable
• قَصَّ — to narrate
• حَدَثَ — to happen
• تَعَرَّضَ — to be exposed
• شَابَ — to turn grey
• أَدْرَكَ — to realize
• وَصَلَ — to arrive
• تَعَجَّبَ — to wonder
• تَمْهِيدٌ — preface
• خَادِمٌ — servant
• يَدٌ — hand
• سَبِيلٌ — way
• شَرٌّ — evil
• حَضْرَةٌ — presence
• حَمَّالٌ — porter
• غُرْفَةٌ — room
• فَخْمٌ — luxurious
• وَسَطٌ — middle
• مَائِدَةٌ — table
• طَيِّبٌ — good
• طَعَامٌ — food
• أَشْرِبَةٌ — drinks
• فَاكِهَةٌ — fruit
• نُقْلٌ — nuts
• جَمَاعَةٌ — group
• سَرَاةٌ — nobles
• قَوْمٌ — people
• صَدْرٌ — front
• مَجْلِسٌ — gathering
• رَجُلٌ — man
• حَسَنٌ — good
• صُورَةٌ — appearance
• جَلِيلٌ — majestic
• قَدْرٌ — status
• مَهِيبٌ — imposing
• طَلْعَةٌ — countenance
• لِحْيَةٌ — beard
• شَيْبٌ — grey hair
• صَاحِبٌ — owner
• قَصْرٌ — palace
• رَأْسٌ — head
• شِدَّةٌ — intensity
• خَجَلٌ — shyness
• خَوْفٌ — fear
• بَحْرِيٌّ — sailor
• اسْمٌ — name
• صِنَاعَةٌ — profession
• زَمَنٌ — time
• يَسِيرٌ — short
• دَلِيلٌ — sign
• حَيْرَةٌ — confusion
• مَعْذِرَةٌ — apology
• سَيِّدٌ — master
• فَقْرٌ — poverty
• مَتْعَبَة — troubles
• إِسَاءَةٌ — offense
• شَيْءٌ — thing
• أَخٌ — brother
• صَدِيقٌ — friend
• حَقِيقَةٌ — truth
• وَهْمٌ — illusion
• ثَرْوَةٌ — wealth
• طَائِلٌ — vast
• مَشَقَّةٌ — hardship
• عَنَاءٌ — toil
• مَصْعَب — difficulties
• أَهْوَالٌ — terrors
• وَصْفٌ — description
• سَفَرٌ — voyage
• سَبْعَةٌ — seven
• مَهْلَكَة — perils
• مَخَاطِرُ — dangers
• هَوْلٌ — terror
• وَلِيد — children
• مِقْدَارٌ — extent
• سَعَادَةٌ — happiness