راجعتُ بعد الجهل حِجْرا

راجعتُ بعد الجهل حِجْرا

وأطعتُ زاجرةً وزَجرا

وأطعتُ زاجرةً وزَجرا

I returned, after ignorance, to sound judgment,

I returned after ignorance a stone,

and heeded a warning and a rebuke.

And obeyed a deterrent and deterrence.

ومن الحوادث أنْ نَسْك

ومن الحوادث أنْ نَسْك

تُ وقد صَحِبتُ الفتك عَصْرا

تُ وقد صَحِبتُ الفتك عَصْرا

Among life's strange turns is that I became devout—

And that I forgot from events,

though I had kept company with deadly violence for an age.

And I accompanied destruction a time.

ورأيتُ ما تُجري علي

ورأيتُ ما تُجري علي

يَ أحق بي عَقِباً وصَدرا

يَ أحق بي عَقِباً وصَدرا

And I found what you bring upon me

And I saw what was done to me,

more fitting for me, at the end and at the beginning.

More deserving of me consequence and breast.

ووجدتُ عيشي في اللئا

ووجدتُ عيشي في اللئا

م أعفّ لي وأخفَّ وِزرا

م أعفّ لي وأخفَّ وِزرا

And I found my livelihood among the ignoble

And I found my living in disgrace,

more blameless for me, and lighter in sin.

More forgiving to me and lighter burden.

فقصدتُ ربحاً حاضراً

فقصدتُ ربحاً حاضراً

ورَفضْت أمراً كان خُسراً

ورَفضْت أمراً كان خُسراً

So I sought an immediate profit,

So I sought present profit,

and rejected an undertaking that was a loss.

And rejected a matter that was loss.

أغلقتُ حانوتي لطو

أغلقتُ حانوتي لطو

ل كساده وفتحتُ عَمْرا

ل كساده وفتحتُ عَمْرا

I closed my shop because of the length

I closed my shop for its long recession,

of its stagnation, and opened Amr.

And opened construction.

فأفادني فتحي لهُ

فأفادني فتحي لهُ

جاهاً ومعروفاً وقدرا

جاهاً ومعروفاً وقدرا

My opening of him brought me

So its opening benefited me,

standing, kindness, and esteem.

Glory and kindness and value.

يا طيلسانَ الحَمْدوْي

يا طيلسانَ الحَمْدوْي

ي لقد شُفِعْتَ وكنتَ وِترا

ي لقد شُفِعْتَ وكنتَ وِترا

O mantle of al-Hamdawi,

O Taylasan al-Hamadwi,

you have been paired, though once you were single.

You interceded and was a string.

عمروٌ أخوك أصَبْتُهُ

عمروٌ أخوك أصَبْتُهُ

لي مكسباً فأفدتُ وَفرا

لي مكسباً فأفدتُ وَفرا

Amr is your brother; I found him

Amro, your brother I made him,

a source of income for me, and thus gained abundance.

For me a livelihood so I was generous and ample.

كالحمدويِّ وكسبِهِ

كالحمدويِّ وكسبِهِ

بل ثروة فينا وذكرى

بل ثروة فينا وذكرى

Like al-Hamdawi and his earnings—

Like al-Hamadwi and his livelihood,

rather, wealth among us, and remembrance.

Rather wealth among us and memories.

لا تبعُدَن من صاحبي

لا تبعُدَن من صاحبي

ن نَفيتما ضعة وَفقرا

ن نَفيتما ضعة وَفقرا

May you two companions never be far;

Do not distance from my two friends,

you have banished lowliness and poverty.

If you denied weakness and poverty.

يا عمرُو صبراً للقِصا

يا عمرُو صبراً للقِصا

ص بما جنيتَ عليَّ صبرا

ص بما جنيتَ عليَّ صبرا

O Amr, be patient with requital—

O Amro, patience for stories,

for what you inflicted upon me, be patient!

With what you reaped on me patience.

بل كلْ هنيئاً كسب أن

بل كلْ هنيئاً كسب أن

فِك قد منحتُك منه شطرا

فِك قد منحتُك منه شطرا

Rather, eat with pleasure your nose's earnings;

Rather all congratulations, your livelihood,

I have granted you half of it.

I granted you from it a half.

لك شطر كسبي كلما

لك شطر كسبي كلما

حبَّرتُ في الخرطوم شِعرا

حبَّرتُ في الخرطوم شِعرا

Half my earnings are yours whenever

For you half my livelihood whenever,

I craft verse about the trunk.

I compose in Khartoum a poem.

أحبيتُ منك بحيلتي

أحبيتُ منك بحيلتي

لك مستَغلَّاً كان قبرا

لك مستَغلَّاً كان قبرا

From you, by my ingenuity, I revived

I liked from you with my ruse,

a source of income for you that had been a grave.

For you exploiting was a grave.

فاشكر شريكك إذ جزى

فاشكر شريكك إذ جزى

عُرفاً وقد أسديتَ نكرا

عُرفاً وقد أسديتَ نكرا

So thank your partner, who repaid you

So thank your partner when he rewarded,

with kindness, though you had bestowed wrong.

Familiarity while you gave estrangement.

وسل المُفنَّد في هجا

وسل المُفنَّد في هجا

ئك هل ظلمتُ الحق سرا

ئك هل ظلمتُ الحق سرا

And ask whoever censures my satire of you

And ask the refuted in your satire,

whether I secretly wronged the truth.

Did I wrong the truth secretly?

أم هل أسأتُ إليك في

أم هل أسأتُ إليك في

أمرٍ وقد أحييتَ أمرا

أمرٍ وقد أحييتَ أمرا

Or whether I wronged you in

Or did I wrong you in a matter,

a matter, though you had brought a matter to life?

And I gave life to a matter?

صادفتُ ذكرك كالسرا

صادفتُ ذكرك كالسرا

ر فقلتُ فيك فصار بدرا

ر فقلتُ فيك فصار بدرا

I found your renown like the moon's dark phase;

I came across your mention like the Pleiades,

so I spoke of you, and it became a full moon.

So I said about you and it became full moon.

نوَّهتُ باسمك مُحسناً

نوَّهتُ باسمك مُحسناً

بعد الخمول ألا فشكرا

بعد الخمول ألا فشكرا

I made your name known, doing you good,

I noted your name well-doing,

after obscurity—come, give thanks!

After laziness, so no thankfulness.

واعذِرْ أخاك وإن فحصْ

واعذِرْ أخاك وإن فحصْ

ت فما أراك الفحص غدرا

ت فما أراك الفحص غدرا

And excuse your brother; even if you scrutinize,

And excuse your brother even if you examined,

scrutiny reveals no treachery to you.

You will not see the examination betrayal.

وإذا سمعتَ هجاءَهُ

وإذا سمعتَ هجاءَهُ

فاجعلْ وقارك ثَم وقرا

فاجعلْ وقارك ثَم وقرا

And when you hear his satire,

And if you hear his satire,

then turn your dignity there into deafness.

Then make your dignity protection and protection.

فعساك إن لم تكتسب

فعساك إن لم تكتسب

مجداً ستكسِب ثم أجرا

مجداً ستكسِب ثم أجرا

So perhaps, if you do not gain

For you may if you do not gain,

glory, you will gain a reward there.

Glory, you will gain then reward.

لم يُحرزِ القصباتِ مَن

لم يُحرزِ القصباتِ مَن

لم يحتمل جَدعاً وعَقرا

لم يحتمل جَدعاً وعَقرا

No one has won the prize-reeds

Who did not endure trunk and notch,

who has not endured nose-cutting and maiming.

Did not gain breeches.

ولئن فطِنتَ لتُحسنَن

ولئن فطِنتَ لتُحسنَن

نَ بحُجة جحداً وكُفرا

نَ بحُجة جحداً وكُفرا

And if you are shrewd, you will surely excel

And if you understand you will do good,

at denial and ingratitude, with an argument.

With the argument of renunciation and blasphemy.

ما حُجتي إن قلتَ لي

ما حُجتي إن قلتَ لي

قلْ لي متى أعدمت فخرا

قلْ لي متى أعدمت فخرا

What argument have I if you say to me:

What is my argument if you told me?

“Tell me: when did I ever lack a source of pride?

Tell me when did I lack pride?

ما كنتُ سراً قط بل

ما كنتُ سراً قط بل

ما زلتُ بالخرطوم جهرا

ما زلتُ بالخرطوم جهرا

I was never a secret; rather,

I was not secretly ever but,

with my trunk, I have always been conspicuous.

I still in Khartoum openly.

حسبي بأنفي دون شع

حسبي بأنفي دون شع

رك مفخراً ضخماً وذُخرا

رك مفخراً ضخماً وذُخرا

My nose suffices me, without your poetry,

My nose suffices me without,

as a mighty source of pride and a treasure.

Your poetry proud, enormous, and wealth.

ما زال خرطومي وفي

ما زال خرطومي وفي

ياً لي غنىً لي عنك دهرا

ياً لي غنىً لي عنك دهرا

My trunk has always been faithful—

My Khartoum did not cease being faithful,

to me, a means to do without you for an age.

To me, wealth to me, without you forever.

كم أكسباني قبل شع

كم أكسباني قبل شع

رك وُزَّناً بيضاً وصُفرا

رك وُزَّناً بيضاً وصُفرا

How often, before your poetry, the two earned me

How much it made me gain before,

weighty coins, white and yellow!

Your poetry weight white and yellow.

كم وقفة لي قد حشَرْ

كم وقفة لي قد حشَرْ

تُ بها جموع الناس حشرا

تُ بها جموع الناس حشرا

At how many a stand of mine have I gathered

How many stops I have which,

crowds of people, thronging together!

Crowds of people crowded to it thronging.

أنا فيلُ ربي لم أزل

أنا فيلُ ربي لم أزل

لهْواً لإخواني وسُخرا

لهْواً لإخواني وسُخرا

I am my lord's elephant; I have always been

I am the elephant of my Lord, I never,

entertainment for my brethren and a laughingstock.

Was amusement to my brothers and subjugation.

والقَسُّ فيّالي فكم

والقَسُّ فيّالي فكم

أكسبتُهُ جَذرا وجُدرا

أكسبتُهُ جَذرا وجُدرا

And the priest is my elephant-keeper; how often

And the bow in me so how much,

I have earned him a foundation and walls!

I made it root and planks.

كم قد فتنتُ بمنظري

كم قد فتنتُ بمنظري

شمطاءَ عانسة وبكرا

شمطاءَ عانسة وبكرا

How often I have captivated, with my appearance,

How I seduced with my sight,

a gray-haired spinster and a virgin!

A spinster barren and virgin.

يَجبي الدراهم بي ويج

يَجبي الدراهم بي ويج

بي تارةً زيتاً وخمرا

بي تارةً زيتاً وخمرا

He collects dirhams through me, and collects

Bringing me dirhams in me and bringing,

at times, oil and wine.”

Sometimes oil and wine.

مالي هنالك حجةٌ

مالي هنالك حجةٌ

يا عمرو فاللَهمَّ غَفرا

يا عمرو فاللَهمَّ غَفرا

I have no argument against that,

I have no argument there,

O Amr; so, O God, forgive me!

O Amro, so O Allah forgiveness.

لا تلحينِّي إن جعل

لا تلحينِّي إن جعل

تك للجَدا كلباً وصقرا

تك للجَدا كلباً وصقرا

Do not reproach me if I have made you

Do not blame me if you made,

a dog and a falcon in pursuit of bounty.

You to strife a dog and falcon.