أَنضَيْتُ هِرَّتيَ الغَضْبى وَجِدْياني

أَنضَيْتُ هِرَّتيَ الغَضْبى وَجِدْياني

وَأَهلَ بَيتي وَأَضيافي وَجِيراني

وَأَهلَ بَيتي وَأَضيافي وَجِيراني

I had worn out my angry cat and my young goats,

I calmed my angry soul, my children,

and my household, my guests, and my neighbors.

My family, guests, and neighbors too.

وَأَطلَقَتْ يَدُكَ العَلياءُ أَلسنَهُمْ

وَأَطلَقَتْ يَدُكَ العَلياءُ أَلسنَهُمْ

بِالشُّكْرِ عَن أَلسُنٍ طَالَتْ لِنيرانِ

بِالشُّكْرِ عَن أَلسُنٍ طَالَتْ لِنيرانِ

And your exalted hand set their tongues free

Your mighty hand unleashed their tongues

with thanks for the fires' lengthened tongues.

With thanks, not flames, their speech once blew.

دَعَتْهُمُ بِلسانٍ بَعْدَ لُكْنتِها

دَعَتْهُمُ بِلسانٍ بَعْدَ لُكْنتِها

إلى خِوانٍ كَما شَاؤوا وإخْوانِ

إلى خِوانٍ كَما شَاؤوا وإخْوانِ

They summoned them with a tongue that once had stammered,

It called them in a mellow tone

to a dining table as they wished, and to brethren.

To brothers, as they wished, anew.

وَمَطبخي بَعدَ ما قد شَابَ آبَ لهُ

وَمَطبخي بَعدَ ما قد شَابَ آبَ لهُ

زَمانُهُ بِشبابٍ منهُ فَينانِ

زَمانُهُ بِشبابٍ منهُ فَينانِ

And to my kitchen, after it had grown gray, returned

And my old kitchen, time had worn,

its former days, with a luxuriant youth of its own.

Regained its youth and vigor too.

وكانَ يَشكو انحِطاطاً لِلقُدورِ فَقَد

وكانَ يَشكو انحِطاطاً لِلقُدورِ فَقَد

عَلَتْ كَوانينُها عن قَدْرِ كِيوانِ

عَلَتْ كَوانينُها عن قَدْرِ كِيوانِ

And it had complained of the pots' low estate; now

Its pots, once lowly, now adorned

their braziers rose above the rank of Kiwan (Saturn).

With more than ancient cups once knew.

إنْ رُحِّلَتْ عن أَثافيها فَقَد رَجعَتْ

إنْ رُحِّلَتْ عن أَثافيها فَقَد رَجعَتْ

تلكَ الأَماني سُروجاً تحتَ فُرسانِ

تلكَ الأَماني سُروجاً تحتَ فُرسانِ

If they were moved from their hearthstones, then

And if those pots are gone from shelves

those wishes returned as saddles beneath horsemen.

Hopes return as knights with hue.

وأَقَبلتْ في سَوادٍ مُقْبلٍ ذَكرتْ

وأَقَبلتْ في سَوادٍ مُقْبلٍ ذَكرتْ

بهِ رُواة القَوافي بَيْتَ حَسَانِ

بهِ رُواة القَوافي بَيْتَ حَسَانِ

And they came forth in an advancing blackness, at which

In black approach, they brought to mind

the reciters of verse recalled a line by Hassan.

The verse of Hassân once we knew.

وَكنتُ مِن وَحشَتي لِلحمِ مُذْ زمنٍ

وَكنتُ مِن وَحشَتي لِلحمِ مُذْ زمنٍ

دارِي كَدَيْرٍ وَمَن فيها كرُهْبانِ

دارِي كَدَيْرٍ وَمَن فيها كرُهْبانِ

And I had long been so estranged from meat

I was, from meat, estranged so long

that my house was like a monastery, and those in it like monks.

My house became a convent too.

وكانَ غايةُ قصدِي أَنْ أُبدَّلَ من

وكانَ غايةُ قصدِي أَنْ أُبدَّلَ من

لَفظِ الأَدِيبِ بِأَنْ أُدعَى بحوبانِ

لَفظِ الأَدِيبِ بِأَنْ أُدعَى بحوبانِ

And my utmost aim was to be changed from

My dearest wish was but to change

the title 'man of letters' to being called Huban.

My name from author to baboon.

ومن غَرامي بِذى قَرنينِ أَنظرُهُ

ومن غَرامي بِذى قَرنينِ أَنظرُهُ

إنّي أُخاطَبُ في مَدْحي بِقَرْنانِ

إنّي أُخاطَبُ في مَدْحي بِقَرْنانِ

And so enamored am I of the two-horned one I gaze upon

And in my love for Two-Horns, I

that in praise of me I am addressed as a 'cuckold.'

Would praise, as “Two-Horns,” him too.

فَبينَما أَنا في هذا ومُشبههِ

فَبينَما أَنا في هذا ومُشبههِ

إذا ندا الصَّاحِب المخدومِ نَاداني

إذا ندا الصَّاحِب المخدومِ نَاداني

And while I was in this state and others like it,

While thus engrossed in such pursuits,

suddenly the bounty of the patron I serve called me.

My patron called, his glance I knew

وَسَاقَ أَملحَ لي في العين أملحُ مِن

وَسَاقَ أَملحَ لي في العين أملحُ مِن

حَوراءَ قد جَمَعتْ حُسْناً لإحسانِ

حَوراءَ قد جَمَعتْ حُسْناً لإحسانِ

And he brought me a piebald ram, lovelier to my eye than

Was brighter than a houri’s orb

a dark-eyed maiden who had joined beauty to kindness.

Who gathered beauty’s every hue.

لولاهُ في العِيد ما مُدَّتْ إلى حَمَلٍ

لولاهُ في العِيد ما مُدَّتْ إلى حَمَلٍ

يَدِي وكَيف ومَا مُدَّتْ لِمِيزانِ

يَدِي وكَيف ومَا مُدَّتْ لِمِيزانِ

But for him, at Eid, toward a lamb would never have stretched

Without him, eid would bring no gifts

my hand—how could it, when it had not stretched toward a balance?

My hands extend or scales subdue.

يَكادُ يَخدعُني لولا معي قَرَمٌ

يَكادُ يَخدعُني لولا معي قَرَمٌ

يَكادُ يَذبَحُ أَولادِي بأَسنانِ

يَكادُ يَذبَحُ أَولادِي بأَسنانِ

It would almost beguile me, were it not for a craving within me

He almost fools me, were it not

that almost slaughters my children with its teeth.

For ape who nearly slew my crew.

فَما درَى أَو جَعلْتُ الأرضَ من دَمهِ

فَما درَى أَو جَعلْتُ الأرضَ من دَمهِ

يَحمَرُّ مِن خَجَل خَدٌّ لها قَانِ

يَحمَرُّ مِن خَجَل خَدٌّ لها قَانِ

Before it knew, I made the earth, with its blood,

I knew not what I’d do, should blood

blush with shame, its cheek deep crimson.

Of his, the earth in red imbue.

وَبُزُّ عنهُ إهابٌ كان مُمتلئاً

وَبُزُّ عنهُ إهابٌ كان مُمتلئاً

شَحماً وَلَحْماً كَدُرٍّ فَوقَ مَرْجانِ

شَحماً وَلَحْماً كَدُرٍّ فَوقَ مَرْجانِ

And off it was stripped a hide that had been filled

A goat, its udders full with fat

with fat and flesh, like pearls upon coral.

And meat atop a coral too.

وأَشرَقَتْ كيواقيتٍ مَجامِرُنا

وأَشرَقَتْ كيواقيتٍ مَجامِرُنا

وَبَعضُها سَبَجٌ من سَيْلِ أدْهانِ

وَبَعضُها سَبَجٌ من سَيْلِ أدْهانِ

And our braziers gleamed like rubies,

Our dice like rubies shone anew,

and some were jet, from streams of grease.

Some soaked in fragrant oil’s rich hue.

ثُمَّ انتقاها لأَلوانٍ مُعَجَّلةٍ

ثُمَّ انتقاها لأَلوانٍ مُعَجَّلةٍ

وَفي غَدٍ قَد تَواعَدْنا لأَلوانِ

وَفي غَدٍ قَد تَواعَدْنا لأَلوانِ

Then he selected them for dishes prepared at once,

Then chosen in bright variegated tints,

and tomorrow we have arranged to meet for more dishes.

More promised for the morn anew.