1. سلام على الربع ربع الجدا

    سلام على تمره واللبا

    Peace upon the abode, the abode of bounty.

    Peace upon its dates and the colostrum.

  2. سلام عليه سلام امرئ

    معنى بتذكار ما قد مضى

    Peace upon it, the greeting of a man

    Tormented by remembrance of what has passed.

  3. سلام عليه فكم موقف

    وقفناه فيه ندير الدلا

    Peace upon it—how often

    We stood there, passing the buckets round!

  4. لعهدي فيه شيوخ لنا

    غلاظ الرقاب عراض اللحى

    As I recall, we had elders there,

    Thick of neck and broad of beard.

  5. إذا ما قبضت على لحية

    وناديت بطني أجاب الخرا

    Whenever I grasped a beard

    And called to my belly, the shit answered.

  6. وكنا من الظرف لو أننا

    أقمنا نصافع شهراً ولا

    And such was our wit that, if we

    Stayed trading slaps for a month, we would not

  7. نعيب الوفاء ولهفي على

    أخادع من لا يعيب الوفا

    Find fault with loyalty; and how I long for

    The neck veins of those who find no fault with loyalty!

  8. ولا عذر ألا أدير اللطام

    إذا الصفع دار وكلي قفا

    And I have no excuse not to pass the slaps around

    When slapping goes round and I am all nape.

  9. وقد كنت تبت ولكنني

    إذا الصفع دار أتاني الجشا

    And I had indeed repented; yet

    Whenever slaps go round, a belch comes upon me.

  10. فلا تترك الصفع جهلاً به

    فما أطيب الصفع لولا العمى

    So do not abandon slapping out of ignorance of it;

    For how delightful slapping would be, were it not for blindness!

  11. ومالي أكاتمكم قصتي

    وأضرب بالطبل تحت الكسا

    And why should I hide my story from you

    And beat the drum beneath the cloak?

  12. إذا كان في الصيف لي جنة

    لأية حال أذم الفرا

    If in summer it is a shield for me,

    For what reason should I disparage furs?

  13. ولم أكسب الحمق لكنني

    خلقت رقيعاً كما ترى

    And I did not acquire stupidity, but I

    Was born a fool, as you see.

  14. لقد فقت فيه كما الفارس

    ي في الرمي فاق جميع الورى

    I have indeed excelled in it, just as al-Farisi

    Surpassed all mankind in shooting.

  15. كأن البنادق طوع له

    فهن يصبن له ما اشتهى

    As though the pellets were at his command,

    So they hit for him whatever he desires.

  16. إذا ما رمى طائراً حطه

    ولو أنه بمكان السها

    Whenever he shoots at a bird, he brings it down,

    Even if it is in al-Suha’s place.

  17. فيالك من موقف مبهج

    عجيب ومن منظر مشتهى

    So what a delightful scene,

    Marvelous, and what a longed-for sight!

  18. فعيد الطيور به مأتم

    وأضيافه عنده في القرى

    So the birds’ festival is, through him, a funeral,

    And his guests, at his place, enjoy the feast.