قولا لِأَنفٍ وَقُزعَه

قولا لِأَنفٍ وَقُزعَه

أَخطاكُما وَزنُ سَبعَهْ

أَخطاكُما وَزنُ سَبعَهْ

Say, you two, to Anf and Quzʿah:

Tell a nose and its stubbiness,

The weight of seven has eluded you both.

You two have made a grave mistake,

ما شابَ رَأسي ولا لي

ما شابَ رَأسي ولا لي

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ صَلعَهْ

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ صَلعَهْ

My head has not turned gray, nor have I—

My head has not turned gray, praise God,

praise be to God—a bald patch.

Yet baldness.

لكِن جَبينَي رَحبٌ

لكِن جَبينَي رَحبٌ

وَمَقدَمي فيهِ نَزعَهْ

وَمَقدَمي فيهِ نَزعَهْ

But my forehead is broad,

But my forehead is wide,

and the front of my head has receding hair.

And prominent on it a stubbiness.

وَالشِّعرُ مِنى جَعدٌ

وَالشِّعرُ مِنى جَعدٌ

لكِنَّ لي فيهِ صَنعَهْ

لكِنَّ لي فيهِ صَنعَهْ

And my verse is knotty,

And my hair is curly,

but I have skill in it.

Yet in it I have some artistry.

وَحَبَّذا القَولُ وَالطّو

وَحَبَّذا القَولُ وَالطّو

لُ فَاِعلَموا فيهِ شُنعَهْ

لُ فَاِعلَموا فيهِ شُنعَهْ

And how fine is speech! And tallness—

How excellent is honesty and courage,

know that there is ugliness in it.

So know in it some ugliness.

وَلَستُ أَيضاً قَصيراً

وَلَستُ أَيضاً قَصيراً

لكِن مِنَ القَومِ رَبعَهْ

لكِن مِنَ القَومِ رَبعَهْ

And I am not short either,

Nor am I exactly short either,

but of middling stature among men.

But of the people, a quarter.

وَلا جَفاني حَبيبُ

وَلا جَفاني حَبيبُ

أَرادَ عَنّي نُجْعَهْ

أَرادَ عَنّي نُجْعَهْ

Nor has a beloved shunned me,

Nor has a beloved abandoned me,

wishing to seek pasture away from me.

Wanting from me some refuge.

يا قَدرَ إِسحقَ وَاللَ

يا قَدرَ إِسحقَ وَاللَ

هِ لا نَسِيتُك جُمعَهْ

هِ لا نَسِيتُك جُمعَهْ

O Ishaq’s cooking pot, by God,

Oh fate of Isaac and God,

may I not forget you for a week!

I have not forgotten you ever.

فَأَنتَ مِسكٌ وَلكِن

فَأَنتَ مِسكٌ وَلكِن

أَحبابَنا مِنكَ قِطعَهْ

أَحبابَنا مِنكَ قِطعَهْ

For you are musk, and yet

So you are musk but

our friends are a piece of you.

Our loved ones because of you are cut off.

شارَكتُ فيكَ رِجالاً

شارَكتُ فيكَ رِجالاً

قَد جاوَزوا البَرقَ سرعَهْ

قَد جاوَزوا البَرقَ سرعَهْ

I shared you with men

I have shared in you men

who surpassed lightning in speed.

Who have surpassed the lightning in speed.

لَم يَترُكوا مِنكَ عَظماً

لَم يَترُكوا مِنكَ عَظماً

ولا مِنَ المرقِ جُرعَهْ

ولا مِنَ المرقِ جُرعَهْ

They left not a bone of you,

They have not left any bone from you

nor a sip of the broth.

Nor from the broth a sip.

إِسحقَ مِنهُم وَإِسح

إِسحقَ مِنهُم وَإِسح

قَ ما عَلِمناهُ سِلعَهْ

قَ ما عَلِمناهُ سِلعَهْ

Ishaq was among them—and Ishaq

Isaac from them and Isaac

we have never known to be an inert lump.

We have not known him to be merchandise.

أَمّا النَّبيذُ فَشَيءٌ

أَمّا النَّبيذُ فَشَيءٌ

لَم نَعتَرِف عَنكَ مَنعَهْ

لَم نَعتَرِف عَنكَ مَنعَهْ

As for nabidh, it is something

As for wine it is something

we have never known you to withhold.

We have not admitted from you prevention.

وَليسَ بذلُكَ إِيّا

وَليسَ بذلُكَ إِيّا

هُ باباً مِنَ الخَمرِ بِدعَهْ

هُ باباً مِنَ الخَمرِ بِدعَهْ

Nor is your offering it

And that is not with it, my friend,

as a kind of wine an innovation.

An innovation of the wine’s gates.

فَزادَكَ اللَّهُ فَضلاً

فَزادَكَ اللَّهُ فَضلاً

عَلى المُلوكِ وَرفعَهْ

عَلى المُلوكِ وَرفعَهْ

So may God increase your distinction

So may God increase you in abundance,

above kings, and your eminence;

Above the kings and elevate you.

وَصَيَّرَ الأَنفَ حَتّى

وَصَيَّرَ الأَنفَ حَتّى

أَراهُ قَد صارَ قُطعَهْ

أَراهُ قَد صارَ قُطعَهْ

and transform Anf until

And make the nose until

I see him become a severed piece.

I see it has become a cut-off.