يا لَيتني بِتُّ مقرِيَاً بِخَتْمِكُمُ

يا لَيتني بِتُّ مقرِيَاً بِخَتْمِكُمُ

وَلَمْ أَبتْ مُقرِياً في الليلِ أضيافي

وَلَمْ أَبتْ مُقرِياً في الليلِ أضيافي

Would that I had spent the night as a reciter at your khatm—your completion ceremony—

If only I had spent the night reciting at your Qur'an-completion gathering,

and had not spent the night hosting my guests.

and not spent the night entertaining my guests.

قَوْمٌ أتونيّ لا يَبغونَ غيرَ قِرى

قَوْمٌ أتونيّ لا يَبغونَ غيرَ قِرى

جمعاً كبيراً بأفراسٍ وأسيافِ

جمعاً كبيراً بأفراسٍ وأسيافِ

A band came to me seeking nothing but hospitality,

People came to me, seeking nothing but hospitality,

a great throng, with horses and swords.

a great throng, with horses and swords.

فَمِتُّ منْ خَجَلٍ مِنْهُمْ وَبِتُّ بِهمْ

فَمِتُّ منْ خَجَلٍ مِنْهُمْ وَبِتُّ بِهمْ

حَيرانَ ما بينَ خبازٍ وَعَلاَّفِ

حَيرانَ ما بينَ خبازٍ وَعَلاَّفِ

I died of shame before them and spent the night in their company,

So I died of shame before them, and because of them spent the night

bewildered between baker and fodder-seller.

bewildered between a baker and a fodder dealer.

وَعُدْتُ أُظهِرُ أَعذاراً مُلَفّقةً

وَعُدْتُ أُظهِرُ أَعذاراً مُلَفّقةً

وَفيهِمُ كُلُّ شَتّامٍ وَقَذِّافِ

وَفيهِمُ كُلُّ شَتّامٍ وَقَذِّافِ

I went on producing fabricated excuses,

And I went back to offering fabricated excuses,

while among them were revilers and slanderers of every kind.

and among them was every sort of curser and slanderer.

وَقلتُ دونَكُمُ شَمَّ النّسيمِ على

وَقلتُ دونَكُمُ شَمَّ النّسيمِ على

هذا الفضاءِ وماءً بارداً صافي

هذا الفضاءِ وماءً بارداً صافي

I said, “Here—breathe the breeze across

And I said, 'Breathe in the breeze over

this open space, and have cool, clear water.

this open space, and have cold, clear water.

ناموا إذا شِئتمُ أو فاسهروا لتَرَوا

ناموا إذا شِئتمُ أو فاسهروا لتَرَوا

أشجار حورٍ على خَورٍ وَصَفْصافِ

أشجار حورٍ على خَورٍ وَصَفْصافِ

Sleep if you wish, or stay awake, so that you may see

Sleep if you wish, or stay awake to see

such sights as poplars beside a creek, and willows.”

poplar trees by a creek, and willows.'

فقالَ لي مِنهُمُ شيخٌ أخو بَلَه

فقالَ لي مِنهُمُ شيخٌ أخو بَلَه

كأنَّ في وَجْههِ حانوتَ نَدّافِ

كأنَّ في وَجْههِ حانوتَ نَدّافِ

Then an old man among them, a brother to folly, said to me,

Then an old man among them, a simpleton, said to me—

his face as though it housed a cotton-carder's shop:

as though his face held a cotton-carder's shop—

يحتاجُ بيتُكُمُ والفارُ يَهْجُرُهُ

يحتاجُ بيتُكُمُ والفارُ يَهْجُرُهُ

أشياءَ لا بُدَّ منها غيرَ كتّاف

أشياءَ لا بُدَّ منها غيرَ كتّاف

“Your house, which even the mouse deserts, needs

'Your house, which the mice desert, needs

indispensable things besides a porter.”

indispensable things, apart from an arm-binder.'

فَكانَ في منزلِي أَضعافُ ما ابتهلوا

فَكانَ في منزلِي أَضعافُ ما ابتهلوا

منَ الدُّعاءِ لَكُم منْ سَب أسلافي

منَ الدُّعاءِ لَكُم منْ سَب أسلافي

Then my house held many times as much

So in my house there was many times the amount they had fervently offered

cursing of my forebears as all the prayers they offered you.

in prayers for you—in curses against my forefathers.