1. منِّي لسيدْ الزجاله

    ألفينْ سلامْ فوقْهم بوسهْ

    From me to the master of the zajal poets:

    two thousand greetings, with a kiss on top.

  2. ما لوشْ نظير في الرجالهِ

    يخلقْ من الهبيك دوسهْ

    He has no equal among men;

    he conjures a great commotion out of trifles.

  3. زجالْ جلالتنا المحبوبْ

    حاملْ لوا جُند الشّعرا

    Our Majesty's beloved zajal poet,

    standard-bearer of the army of poets,

  4. حايزْ نشانْ رعرعْ أيوب

    ومعاه لقب جاب اليسرا

    holder of the Raʿraʿ Ayyub decoration,

    and bearer of the title 'Jab al-Yusra.'

  5. في كلِ عامٍ يبعتْ مكتوب

    نكاتْ عاملْها بالعاني

    Every year he sends a letter,

    with jokes he has deliberately made up.

  6. يعجب على المالِ المسلوب

    أزاي ما يرجعْ بالتاني

    He wonders about the stolen money:

    why doesn't it come back doubled?

  7. يا عم أنا مالي مسُوجر

    مال الصبا ماليش غيرُه

    My good man, my money is insured—

    the money of my youth; I have no other.

  8. ما فيهش خمسهْ من البوكرِ

    ولا جديدْ جام الزيرُه

    There's not a five-unit coin from poker in it,

    nor a small coin that came from zira.

  9. قارِي عليه العدِّيَّه

    ومحصَّنُه بالطشطوشي

    I've recited the Adiyya over it,

    and fortified it through al-Tashtushi.

  10. تروحْ وتيجي النقديه

    واللطخ يطلع بلّوشي

    The cash goes back and forth,

    and the oaf comes away empty-handed.

  11. يتعب ويشقى ويتشحطط

    ويظن إنه صادْ صيدَه

    He toils, suffers, and gets dragged about,

    and thinks he's landed a catch;

  12. ويفوق يلاقيه اترّبط

    ولا ينوبُه إلاّ الكيده

    then comes to and finds himself tied up,

    and gets nothing but vexation.

  13. وبتشتري في القولِ وتبيعْ

    يا ما أنت شاطرْ في التأليس

    You buy and sell in talk—

    oh, how clever you are at wisecracking!

  14. وإنت يومْ قاضي توزيع

    وأربعْ شهور مأمورْ تفليس

    One day you're a judge of distributions,

    and for four months a bankruptcy commissioner.

  15. مكتوب على جبينكِ يَفْطَهْ

    فيها النظافة من الإيمانِ

    On your forehead a placard is written,

    saying, 'Cleanliness is part of faith.'

  16. وإن جاك حرامي في طنطا

    يطْلع من السرْحه ندمانِ

    And if a thief comes to you in Tanta,

    he returns from his outing full of regret.

  17. على عزومْتين في الفسحهْ

    تعمل زجلْ يطلع وشّين

    For two invitations during an outing,

    you compose a zajal that fills two sides.

  18. والبطن اتابي لها قرحه

    تقعدْ مع العاقلْ شهرين

    And apparently the belly has an ulcer

    that stays with a sensible man for two months.

  19. عزومةِ الشيخ ما تقولشي

    فيها الديوك كانت تدّن

    The sheikh's feast—don't even ask!

    There the roosters were crowing the call to prayer.

  20. لو طُلت لك شَفطةْ طرشي

    لقلت دي الأشيا معدن

    Had you managed a slurp of pickle brine,

    you'd have said, 'This stuff is the genuine article!'

  21. فتة ملوخية بفرّوج

    تاكلْ صوابْعك وياها

    Fatta, molokhia with a young chicken—

    you'd eat your fingers along with it!

  22. والشرب م الماء المثلوج

    أكله حلال ما أحْلاها

    And to drink, ice-cold water:

    a halal meal—how delicious!

  23. وأكلة الريّس دي تفوق

    على الجميعِ عقبال عندك

    And the chief's meal surpasses

    all the rest—may your turn come next!

  24. وإن كنتَ عايز مره تدوق

    قدِّم طلب إذا كان بدك

    And if you'd like a taste sometime,

    submit a request, if that's your wish.

  25. يا ما عزومات رديتها

    وقبلتْ بس الاتنين دول

    So many invitations I've turned down,

    and accepted only these two.

  26. فروض عليَّ أديتها

    إكمنَّها م الحُول للحول

    They were duties upon me, which I fulfilled,

    because they come round once a year.

  27. ما فيش نفر واحد يطلع

    يقول أكلْ عندك مرّهْ

    Not a single person can come forward

    and say he once ate at your place.

  28. كانون سيادتكم زرع

    والثلج فوقهُ للسرهْ

    Your Honor's stove has crops growing in it,

    and snow covers it up to its navel.

  29. إن كان حِداك حد قصيّر

    تبعت له واحدْ يشتالُه

    If there's someone short near you,

    you send someone to pick him up,

  30. ويقول له عيط يا صغيرْ

    ويحمله بحالُه ومالهْ

    who says to him, 'Cry, little one!'

    and carries off both him and his money.

  31. غالي طلبْ حاجة رخيصه

    والخيْر حدانا يتْواجد

    Ghali asked for something cheap,

    and there's plenty here with us.

  32. عندي فلاتيه جعيصه

    بالزوفه والسعر مهاود

    I have a grand Fulani woman,

    with her topknot, and the price is reasonable.

  33. إياك يجي لك يا صدقي

    في الشقلبة الجايه قرشين

    May you receive, Sidqi,

    a couple of piastres at the next shake-up,

  34. ويسكّنوك في باب شرقي

    إن لم يكون بين النهدين

    and may they lodge you in Bab Sharqi,

    if not between two breasts.

  35. السعد طاحونْ في شارعِ

    واللي مقدّر له يقْلب

    Luck is a mill out in the street,

    and whoever is destined gets to turn it.

  36. ربك كريم فضله واسع

    وبردُه تدبيرُه يغْلب

    Your Lord is generous, His bounty vast,

    and His plan prevails all the same.

  37. أعذر صديقك في التأخيرْ

    لأن حالُه كان واقف

    Excuse your friend for the delay,

    for his affairs had been at a standstill:

  38. وبا وسخره وشغلْ كتير

    الله يساعدكَ يا ناصف

    an epidemic, forced labor, and much work.

    May God help you, Nasif!