قَالَHe saidأَبُوAbuعُبَيْدَةَUbaidah
Abu Ubaidah said
قِيلَIt was saidهَذَاthisالشِّعْرُpoemفِيaboutرَجُلٍa man
this poem was said about a man
مِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleالْبَصْرَةِof Basra
from the people of Basra
خَرَجَwho went outإِلَىtoالْجَبَّانَةِthe desert/cemetery
who went out to the desert
يَنْتَظِرُwaiting forرِكَابَهُhis caravan/riders
waiting for his caravan
فَاتَّبَعَهُand followed himكَلْبٌa dogلَهُbelonging to him
and a dog of his followed him
فَطَرَدَهُso he drove it awayوَضَرَبَهُand beat it
so he drove it away and beat it
وَذَكَرَand triedأَنْtoيَتْبَعَهُmake it follow [him not]
and sought to make it stop following him
وَرَمَاهُand he threwبِحَجَرٍat it with a stoneفَأَدْمَاهُand wounded it
and threw a stone at it, wounding it
فَأَبَىbut refusedالْكَلْبُthe dogإِلَّاexceptأَنْtoيَتْبَعَهُfollow him
but the dog insisted on following him
فَلَمَّاso whenصَارَhe reachedإِلَىatالْمَوْضِعِthe place
So when he arrived at the location
وَثَبَattackedبِهِhimقَوْمٌa group of people
a group of people attacked him
كَانَتْwho hadلَهُمْagainst himعِنْدَهُwith himطَائِلَةٌan old grudge or score
who held an old grudge against him
وَكَانَAnd there wasمَعَهُwith himجَارٌa neighborلَهُof hisوَأَخٌand a brother
And there were with him a neighbor and a brother of his
فَهَرَبَاso they fledعَنْهُfrom him
so they fled from him
وَتَرَكَاهُand abandoned himوَأَسْلَمَاهُand betrayed him
and abandoned and betrayed him
فَجُرِحَso he was woundedجُرِحَاتٍwith woundsكَثِيرَةٍmany
So he sustained many wounds
وَرُمِيَand he was thrownبِهِintoفِيaبِئْرٍwell
and was thrown into a well
وَحَثَوْاand they shoveledعَلَيْهِover himبِالتُّرَابِearth/dust
and they shoveled earth over him
حَتَّىuntilوَارَوْهُthey buried him
until they buried him
وَلَمْand they did notيَشُكُّواdoubtفِيinمَوْتِهِhis death
and they had no doubt of his death
وَالْكَلْبُwhile the dogمَعَdespiteذَلِكَthat
while the dog, despite that
يَهُرُّbarksعَلَيْهِمْat them
barked at them
وَهُمْwhile theyرَجُمُوهُwere stoning it
while they were stoning it
فَلَمَّاSo whenانْصَرَفُواthey left
So when they left
أَتَىcameالْكَلْبُthe dogإِلَىtoرَأْسِthe top ofالْبِئْرِthe well
the dog came to the opening of the well
فَلَمْand did notيَزَلْceaseيَعْوِيhowling
and kept howling
وَيَبْحَثُand diggingبِالتُّرَابِin the earthبِمَخَالِيبِهِwith its claws
and digging in the dirt with its claws
حَتَّىuntilظَهَرَappearedرَأْسُthe head ofصَاحِبِهِits master
until the head of its master appeared
وَفِيهِand in himنَفَسٌa breathيَتَرَدَّدُfluttering / flickering
while a faint breath still fluttered within him
وَقَدْAnd he hadكَانَbeenأَشْرَفَon the verge ofعَلَىdestructionالتَّلَفِperishing
And he had been on the verge of perishing
وَلَوْand had thereيَبْقَremainedفِيهِin himإِلَّاexceptحُشَاشَةُthe last flicker ofنَفْسِهِhis soul
with nothing left of his life except the faintest breath
وَوَصَلَand reachedإِلَيْهِhimالرُّوحُthe spirit/air
and fresh air reached him
فَبَيْنَمَاSo whileهُوَheكَذَلِكَwas thus
So while he was in this state
إِذْsuddenlyمَرَّpassed byأُناسٌpeople
some people passed by
فَأَنْكَرُواand found strangeمَكَانَthe presence ofالْكَلْبِthe dog
and found the dog's presence strange
وَرَأَوْهُand saw itكَأَنَّهُas if it wereيَحْفِرُdiggingقَبْراًa grave
and saw it as if it were digging a grave
فَجَاؤُواso they cameفَإِذَاand beholdهُمْtheyبِالرَّجُلِfound the manعَلَىinتِلْكَthatالْحَالِcondition
so they came over and behold, the man was in that condition
فَاسْتَخْرَجُوهُso they rescued himحَيّاًalive
so they rescued him alive
وَحَمَلُوهُand carried himإِلَىtoأَهْلِهِhis family
and carried him to his family
وَزَعَمَAnd Abu Ubaidah claimedأَبُوAbuعُبَيْدَةَUbaidah
And Abu Ubaidah stated
أَنَّthatذَلِكَthatالْمَوْضِعَplace
that that place
يُدْعَىis calledبِئْرَthe well ofالْكَلْبِthe dog
is called the Well of the Dog
وَهَذَاAnd thisالْأَمْرُmatter
And this matter
يَدُلُّpoints toعَلَىonوَفَاءٍloyaltyطَبْعِيٍّnatural
points to natural loyalty
وَأَلِفٍand ingrained affectionغَرِيزِيٍّinstinctive
and instinctive attachment
وَمُحَابَاةٍand deep devotionشَدِيدَةٍintense
and intense partiality/devotion
وَعَلَىand toمَعْرِفَةٍunderstandingوَصَبْرٍand patienceوَكَرَمٍand nobilityوَغَنَاءٍand capabilityوَمَنْفَعَةٍand usefulness
and to awareness, patience, nobility, efficacy, and usefulness
تَفُوقُsurpassingالْمَنَافِعَbenefits
that surpass ordinary benefits
وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd narrated to meعَبْدُAbdullahاللَّهِbinبْنِMuhammadمُحَمَّدٍthe secretaryالْكَاتِبُsaid
And Abdullah bin Muhammad the secretary narrated to me, saying
قَالَHe saidحَدَّثَنِيnarrated to meأَبِيmy father
my father narrated to me
عَنْfromمُحَمَّدِMuhammadبْنِbinخَلَّادٍKhalladقَالَwho said
from Muhammad bin Khallad who said
قَدِمَarrivedرَجُلٌa manعَلَىtoبَعْضِsomeالسُّلَاطِينِsultans
a man arrived before one of the sultans
وَكَانَand there wasمَعَهُwith himحَاكِمُthe governor ofأَرْمِينِيَةَArmenia
and with him was the governor of Armenia
مُنْصَرِفاًreturningإِلَىtoمَنْزِلِهِhis home
returning to his home
فَمَرَّso he passedفِيinطَرِيقِهِhis path
and he passed along his way