1. I came to the market of Okaz
Seeking by order of the president
١. أَتَيتُ سوقَ عُكاظٍ
أَسعى بِأَمرِ الرَئيسِ
2. I presented to him deserts
With heads hanging low
٢. أُزجي إِلَيهِ قَوافٍ
مُنَكَّساتِ الرُؤوسِ
3. They are not of pleasant company
To be adorned with in rituals
٣. لَيسَت بِذاتِ رُواءٍ
تُزهى بِهِ في الطُروسِ
4. Nor of any beauty
That flows into souls
٤. وَلا بِذاتِ جَمالٍ
يَسري بِها في النُفوسِ
5. The excess of Shawqi's passion did not love them
A remnant from the intimate
٥. لَم يَحبُها فَضلُ شَوقي
بَقِيَّةً مِن نَسيسِ
6. So they are barren emptinesses
Of any precious meaning
٦. فَهُنَّ قَفرٌ خَوالٍ
مِن كُلِّ مَعنىً نَفيسِ
7. And they are the effort of a weakling
Ally of worry and affliction
٧. وَهُنَّ جُهدُ مُقِلٍّ
حَليفَ هَمٍّ وَبوسِ
8. The president said, and who else
Speaks after the president?
٨. قالَ الرَئيسُ وَمَن ذا
يَقولُ بَعدَ الرَئيسِ
9. He served the attendants a drink
To forget the drink of sorrows
٩. سَقى الحُضورَ شَراباً
يُنسى شَرابَ القُسوسِ
10. Fermented before Aad
In the darkness of prisons
١٠. مُعَتَّقاً قَبلَ عادٍ
في مُظلِماتِ الحُبوسِ
11. It ignites countries with a fire
Like the fire of the Magi
١١. تُذكي الدِياراتُ مِنهُ
ناراً كَنارِ المَجوسِ
12. Showing you while the night is still dark
Its suns in the cups
١٢. يُريكَ وَاللَيلُ داجٍ
شُموسَهُ في الكُؤوسِ
13. Daughters of Shawqi's thoughts
In revelation like the bride
١٣. بَناتُ أَفكارِ شَوقي
في جَلوَةٍ كَالعَروسِ
14. Adorned with a hidden meaning
That came with the meaning of suns
١٤. تُزهى بِمَعنىً سَرِيٍّ
أَتى بِمَعنىً شَموسِ
15. And a night of Okaz
Which gathered the protectors of the quagmire
١٥. وَلَيلَةٍ مِن عُكاظٍ
ضَمَّت حُماةَ الوَطيسِ
16. He brought to life through it the memory of an era
Whose relics are in the rituals
١٦. أَحيا بِها ذِكرَ عَهدٍ
آثارُهُ في الطُروسِ
17. An era where poetry flowed
To the horizons of the suns
١٧. عَهدٌ سَما الشِعرُ فيهِ
إِلى مَجالي الشُموسِ
18. And its meadow was more pure
Than the source of the dictionary
١٨. وَوِردُهُ كانَ أَصفى
مِن مَورِدِ القاموسِ
19. So I came to it with a tale
I drive to the sitting
١٩. فَجِئتُها بِحَديثٍ
أَسوقُهُ لِلجُلوسِ
20. I had visited the museum of Egypt
On the back of Thursday
٢٠. قَد زُرتُ مُتحَفَ مِصرٍ
في ظُهرِ يَومِ الخَميسِ
21. Amongst a group of companions
Young men of good traits
٢١. في زُمرَةٍ مِن رِفاقٍ
غُرِّ الشَمائِلِ شوسِ
22. So I was extremely bothered by something
Grievous to the souls
٢٢. فَضِقتُ ذَرعاً بِأَمرٍ
عَلى النُفوسِ بَئيسِ
23. And I almost collapsed in sorrow
For its reversed fortune
٢٣. وَكِدتُ أُصرَعُ غَمّاً
لِحَظِّها المَعكوسِ
24. And the collapse of grief is more catastrophic
Than the collapse of the hyena
٢٤. وَصَرعَةُ الغَمِّ أَدهى
مِن صَرعَةِ الخَندَريسِ
25. I saw the corpse of Khufu
Near Sesostris
٢٥. رَأَيتُ جُثَّةَ خوفو
بِقُربِ سيزوستَريسِ
26. So I said, O people, this is
The making of despicable ingratitude
٢٦. فَقُلتُ يا قَومُ هَذا
صُنعُ العَقوقِ الخَسيسِ
27. The bodies of Egypt's kings
And its honored dead
٢٧. أَجسادُ أَملاكِ مِصرٍ
وَشائِدي مَنفيسِ
28. After fifty centuries
Did not rest in burials
٢٨. مِن بَعدِ خَمسينَ قَرناً
لَم تَستَرِح في الرُموسِ
29. I see Egypt's pharaohs
In misery and ill fate
٢٩. أَرى فَراعينَ مِصرٍ
في ذِلَّةٍ وَنُحوسِ
30. Their bodies exposed
To the commons for money
٣٠. مَعروضَةً لِلبَرايا
أَجسادُهُم بِالفُلوسِ
31. We dug up from them an era
In the darkness of lessons
٣١. عَنهُم نَبَشنا زَماناً
في مُظلِماتِ الدُروسِ
32. So vilely wronging their protection
And it was not trampled
٣٢. فَديسَ ظُلماً حِماهُم
وَكانَ غَيرَ مَدوسِ
33. Perhaps they fortified themselves
From the damagers of graves
٣٣. لَعَلَّهُم حَصَّنوهُم
مِن هادِماتِ الفُؤوسِ
34. Knowing that one day
An angry day would be wished
٣٤. عِلماً بِأَن سَوفَ يُمنى
بِيَومِ شَرٍّ عَبوسِ
35. If the likes of Menes
In the West or Ramses
٣٥. لَو أَنَّ أَمثالَ مينا
في الغَربِ أَو رَمسيسِ
36. Built upon them and outlined
Precincts of sanctity
٣٦. بَنوا عَلَيهِم وَخَطّوا
حَظائِرَ التَقديسِ