من حديثي أن ابنَ بكرٍ دعاني

من حديثي أن ابنَ بكرٍ دعاني

لشقائي فليته ما دعاني

لشقائي فليته ما دعاني

One tale of mine: Ibn Bakr invited me—

One of my tales is that Ibn Bakr invited me

To my misery. Would that he had never invited me!

to my misery—if only he had not invited me!

غرَّني منه منظرٌ ولباسٌ

غرَّني منه منظرٌ ولباسٌ

وأثاث ومجلس وأَوَانِ

وأثاث ومجلس وأَوَانِ

His appearance and attire deceived me,

His appearance and clothing deceived me,

As did his furnishings, his hall, and his vessels.

and furnishings, a sitting room, and tableware.

مجلس كالجنان حسناً ولكن

مجلس كالجنان حسناً ولكن

قبَّح الجوعُ حُسنَ تلك الجنانِ

قبَّح الجوعُ حُسنَ تلك الجنانِ

A hall as lovely as the gardens of Paradise—but

A sitting room as beautiful as gardens, but

Hunger made those gardens’ beauty hideous.

hunger marred the beauty of those gardens.

فلعمري كان الخوانُ ولكن

فلعمري كان الخوانُ ولكن

لم يكن ما يكون فوق الخوانِ

لم يكن ما يكون فوق الخوانِ

By my life, the dining table was there—but

By my life, the dining table was there, but

Nothing that belongs upon a table was there.

what belongs on the dining table was not.

وجفان مثل الجوابي ولكن

وجفان مثل الجوابي ولكن

ليس فيهنَّ ما يُرى بالعيانِ

ليس فيهنَّ ما يُرى بالعيانِ

And serving bowls vast as cisterns—but

And bowls like reservoirs, but

Nothing in them could be seen with the naked eye.

there was nothing in them for the eye to see.

وَغضَار الألوان جاءت ولكن

وَغضَار الألوان جاءت ولكن

ليس فيها روائح الألوانِ

ليس فيها روائح الألوانِ

Many-colored earthenware dishes arrived—but

And earthenware bowls for assorted dishes arrived, but

They held none of the aromas of varied fare.

there were no aromas of those dishes in them.

فإذا ما أدرتُ فيها بناني

فإذا ما أدرتُ فيها بناني

لم أجد ما أمسُّه ببناني

لم أجد ما أمسُّه ببناني

Whenever I ran my fingertips around inside them,

Whenever I moved my fingertips around inside them,

I found nothing my fingertips could touch.

I found nothing to touch with my fingertips.

إنني ماضغٌ على غير شيءٍ

إنني ماضغٌ على غير شيءٍ

غير صكِّ الأسنان بالأسنانِ

غير صكِّ الأسنان بالأسنانِ

Indeed, I was chewing upon nothing—

I am chewing on nothing,

Nothing but teeth clacking against teeth.

save the clashing of teeth against teeth.

ترجع الكفُّ وهي أفرغ منها

ترجع الكفُّ وهي أفرغ منها

عند مدّي لها فدأبي وشاني

عند مدّي لها فدأبي وشاني

My hand returned emptier than the dish itself

My hand returns emptier than it was

Whenever I reached toward it—my constant occupation and plight.

when I stretched it out—such is my way and plight.

لو تراني والجوع يضحك منّي

لو تراني والجوع يضحك منّي

عند غسلي يديَّ بالأشنانِ

عند غسلي يديَّ بالأشنانِ

If only you could see me, with hunger laughing at me,

If you could see me, with hunger laughing at me,

As I washed both hands with ushnan cleansing powder!

as I wash my hands with ushnaan!

زاد في السكر مسرفاً مثلما أس

زاد في السكر مسرفاً مثلما أس

رَفَ عند الطعام بالنقصانِ

رَفَ عند الطعام بالنقصانِ

He went to excess in drinking, just as he ex—

He increased the drunkenness to excess, just as he went

—ceeded, when it came to food, by stinting it.

to excess at mealtime by providing too little.

والغضارات فارغات أتَتنا

والغضارات فارغات أتَتنا

وسقانا بالمترع الملآنِ

وسقانا بالمترع الملآنِ

The earthenware bowls came to us empty,

And the earthenware bowls came to us empty,

While he gave us drink from a brimming, overflowing vessel.

and he gave us drink from a brimming, full vessel.

سكرةٌ فوق جوعةٍ تركتني

سكرةٌ فوق جوعةٍ تركتني

راحماً كلَّ جائعٍ سكرانِ

راحماً كلَّ جائعٍ سكرانِ

A bout of drunkenness atop a pang of hunger left me

Drunkenness on top of hunger left me

Pitying every hungry drunkard.

pitying every hungry, drunken person.