1. O You who are mother and father to us
And whose faith we follow

2. O You whose word is ever true
And who does not lie

3. I concealed Your pardon
For my many errors that burdened me

4. I am a wretch, so why should I
Say where my barren pasture might be?

5. Especially on a day filled with
Clouds to avoid its evils

6. The birds sang songs for me
In every melody its words were of sunset

7. Tell me, what have You destined for me?
I know nothing too hard for me.

8. I have Hofiyyah rice, cooked
More perfectly than any other dish

9. Its whiteness from its fat
Its bones moist from its meat

10. And chicks that make a sauce
That suits it best

11. And ducks that, when stirred beneath it,
Make it most delectable to us

12. With thyme and fennel to complement
Its exquisite, subtle flavor

13. The house is not devoid of plenty
When You aid me, I am not defeated

14. It reveals its freshness, its face
Alluring to the desirous appetite

15. I look upon the gardens with
Every trailing green tail it drags behind

16. Among the bubbling pots
Where all who milk find profit

17. And the consecrated cheese
Made tastier with vinegar and salt

18. We have adorned our drink with a girl
Of noble stock, her lip most full

19. He sips at her cup’s rim
For his saliva is most sweet

20. Finely chopped in his hand
Like stars held by a planet

21. It is good to enjoy for a day
A morning of our life well spent

22. With a listener whose cheek holds a rose
Guarded by his cheekbone like a scorpion

23. His kerchief steals from his face
Secrets hidden above like clouds

24. He beats the necks of our bottles
When he strums the lute or strikes it

25. Whoever he loves gains from him
Rapture and joy both

26. Return to me, O God, the delight whose water
Quenches all of life’s thirst

27. Between a close friend whose cheek is marked
And red lips that are full

28. Thunder shakes the ground, aroused
Clouds weep and hills drink

29. We have a vine whose image
Is renewed each day like this

30. Before it a pool whose water
Flows forever and is never exhausted

31. Since the ancients made it
No duck has fouled its surface

32. Ducks dance at its rim
When its bulbul comes to play

33. And its waves will sometimes shine
Like stars setting in its depths

34. So resolve yourself, you whose will
I know flows on steadily, never tiring

35. And go to your brother’s house
His lightning never errs when it promises

36. While the lion of fate is unwary
His claws and fangs are not to be feared

37. But if you do not answer my request
Know that you have angered me.