1. O Isa's nose, may God reward you with righteousness
And may God increase you with illumination and expanse
١. يا أَنفَ عيسى جَزاكَ اللَّهُ صالِحَةً
وَزادَكَ اللَّهُ إِشراقاً وَمُتَّسَعا
2. Yes, and valleys still flow in you
Of mucus, a pasture that drives away together
٢. نَعَم وَلا زِلتَ تَجري فيكَ أَودِيَةٌ
مِنَ المُخاطِ رواء يطرِدنَ مَعا
3. A fortress, a mighty fortress, and honor that if
Kisra of kings Anushirvan had seized it, he would have refused
٣. حِصنٌ حَصينٌ وَعِزٌّ لَو تَناوَلَهُ
كِسرى المُلوكِ أَنو شروانَ لامتَنَعا
4. I left Isa, so I have no conversation with him
And I conversed with a nose that became tall and high
٤. تَرَكتُ عيسى فَما عِندي مُخاطبَةٌ
لَهُ وَخاطبتُ أَنفاً طالَ وَاِرتَفَعا
5. Isa is a boy, but his nose is a man
And it is fitting for the epoch to make everything it did
٥. عيسى غُلامٌ وَلكِن أَنفُهُ رَجُلٌ
وَالقَرنُ يَحسُن مِنهُ كُلّ ما صَنَعا
6. I saw a nose and did not know its owner
So I said who is the owner of the nose that appeared
٦. رَأَيتُ أَنفاً وَلَم أَعلَم بِصاحِبِهِ
فَقُلتُ مَن صاحِبُ الأَنفِ الَّذي طَلَعا
7. They said a young man who was absent in it. I said and I wonder
That he did not see the like of this sight and did not hear
٧. قالوا فَتىً غابَ فيهِ قُلتُ وَاعَجَبي
ما إِن رَأى مِثلَ ذا راء وَلا سَمِعا
8. Oh woe to you, bring him out! Their speaker said
Far-fetched! We do not see hope in attaining him
٨. يا وَيلَكُم أَخرِجوهُ قالَ ناطِقُهُم
هَيهاتَ ما إِن نَرى في نَيلِهِ طَمَعا
9. The valley is farther in depth when you seek it
Than you attain the ropes of the people if you milked
٩. الجبُّ أَبعَدُ غوراً حينَ تَطلُبُهُ
مِن أَن تَنالَ حِبالَ القَومِ مَن ضَرعا
10. If only you could see me grieving over a nose for
A young man who stumbled in his nostrils, cut off
١٠. فَلَو تَراني عَلى أَنفٍ أَنوحُ بِهِ
عَلى فَتىً زَلَّ في خَيشومِهِ قِطَعا
11. While so, his eyelids paraded
With his mucus, there was Isaac who had returned
١١. بَينا كَذلِكَ إِذ جالَت غَوارِبُهُ
بِمَخطِهِ فَإِذا عَيسونُ قَد رَجَعا
12. So I said, good - for you have seen what
Eyes turned away from and you have distanced a refuge
١٢. فَقُلتُ خَيرٌ فَقَد عايَنتَ ما رَجِعَت
عَنهُ العُيونُ وَقَد أَبعَدتَ مُنتَجَعا
13. So he said, I did not cease being in night and in fetters
And in matters that made me taste the deadly draught
١٣. فَقال ما زِلتُ في لَيل وَفي لَثَقِ
وَفي أُمورٍ أَذاقَتني الرَّدى جُرَعا
14. So I said, O Isaac's family, I am a man
Who gives advice. Indeed I am satisfied, pious
١٤. فَقُلتُ يا أَهلَ عيسى إِنَّني رَجُلٌ
أَبدى النَّصيحَةَ إِنّي مُشبَعٌ وَرَعا
15. Let there not remain for you a rope that pulls
The youth's waist, whether near or far
١٥. لا يَبرَحَنَّ لَكُم حَبلٌ يُشَدُّ بِهِ
وَسط الغُلامِ قَريباً كانَ أَو شَسَعا
16. That you pull him with it from the inside of his nostrils
And bring him out with it one day when he falls
١٦. لِتَجذِبوهُ بِهِ مِن جَوفِ مَنخِرِهِ
فَتُخرِجوهُ بِهِ يَوماً إِذا وَقَعا