لام ولام ولام هنّ لاماتُ

لام ولام ولام هنّ لاماتُ

لا مات قوم لهم بالحلو لا ماتُ

لا مات قوم لهم بالحلو لا ماتُ

Lām and lām and lām—they are lāms.

Oh sadness, sadness, sadness... Here are laments of sadness

May no people die who have 'lāms' for sweets.

No people died who had sweetness, or lamented of sorrow

ألا وإني منهم إن وجدتُ إلى

ألا وإني منهم إن وجدتُ إلى

هذا سبيلاً ولي في العجز نيّاتُ

هذا سبيلاً ولي في العجز نيّاتُ

Indeed, I am one of them, if I find

Indeed, if I find a way to this

a way to this; and in helplessness I have intentions.

I have in weakness good intentions

فكم أمنتُ بمامونية وردت

فكم أمنتُ بمامونية وردت

من خوف جوع له في القلب رجفات

من خوف جوع له في القلب رجفات

How often I felt safe with ma'muniyya when it came,

How often have I felt secure and returned

from the fear of hunger, whose tremors shake the heart.

From fear of hunger that trembles in my heart

تحلّ في حلّة قد سعّرت غلطاً

تحلّ في حلّة قد سعّرت غلطاً

أما له بفؤادي الرّطب حلاّت

أما له بفؤادي الرّطب حلاّت

It settles in a pot mistakenly heated—

It dissolves in a state that was heated by mistake

are there no pots for it in my moist heart?

Does it not have in my moist heart solutions

حبّ المزاج به الأرواح قد مزجت

حبّ المزاج به الأرواح قد مزجت

فكم لها فيه غدوات وروحات

فكم لها فيه غدوات وروحات

Habb al-mizaj—souls have been mingled with it;

The temperament's love has blended spirits

how many morning and evening visits they make within it!

How many mornings and breaths it has for them

كأنه في صحون اللازورد إذا

كأنه في صحون اللازورد إذا

ما قد بدا شفق واللوز نجمات

ما قد بدا شفق واللوز نجمات

It is as though, in dishes of lapis lazuli, when

As if it is in the dishes of lapis lazuli when

it appears, it were twilight, and the almonds little stars.

Dawn appeared and almonds stars

كم للعزيزي في جلاّبه جلب

كم للعزيزي في جلاّبه جلب

إليه هيّجت الأحشا محبّات

إليه هيّجت الأحشا محبّات

How much allure 'azizi has in its syrup!

How much for my beloved in his robes attraction

Affections have stirred the innards toward it.

Excited the passions of love for him

حظيت يا صحنه يا ليت أنت أنا

حظيت يا صحنه يا ليت أنت أنا

عليك من سكّر قد فاق صحنات

عليك من سكّر قد فاق صحنات

How fortunate you are, its dish—if only you were me!

I wished, oh his dish, if only you were me

The sugar upon you has surpassed whole platefuls.

Upon you from sugar that exceeded dishes

وكم قلوب إلى البقلاوة انقلبت

وكم قلوب إلى البقلاوة انقلبت

تقول يا ست أهلات وسهلات

تقول يا ست أهلات وسهلات

And how many hearts have turned toward baklava,

And how many hearts turned to baklava

saying, 'O lady, welcomes and warm greetings!'

Saying oh mistress welcomes and greetings

خُصصت في العام شهراً تُشهرين به

خُصصت في العام شهراً تُشهرين به

أوّاه لو أن كل العام شهرات

أوّاه لو أن كل العام شهرات

You were granted a month each year in which you gain renown;

You were devoted a month in the year boasting it

ah, if only the whole year were such months!

Oh if only the whole year were months

ويا مشور قم وانصر محبك قد

ويا مشور قم وانصر محبك قد

مالت عليه لجيش الجوع خيلات

مالت عليه لجيش الجوع خيلات

And, mashur, rise and help your lover: already

And oh pasta, stand and help your lover for

the cavalry of hunger's army has charged against him.

The horses of hunger have attacked him

واستنجدنّ بأدجاج مُسمّنة

واستنجدنّ بأدجاج مُسمّنة

كأنها وِزز لا بل خروفات

كأنها وِزز لا بل خروفات

And summon fattened chickens as reinforcements,

And seek aid from seasoned chickens

as though they were geese—no, rather lambs!

As if they were geese or even lambs

وازحف بجيشك تُعطَ النصر قُم فها

وازحف بجيشك تُعطَ النصر قُم فها

عليك قد خفقت بالسعد رايات

عليك قد خفقت بالسعد رايات

And advance with your army: victory shall be yours. Rise, and look—

And crawl with your army give victory arise for

above you banners have fluttered with good fortune.

The banners of joy have fluttered over you

بيّضت وجهك يا منفوش فابتهجت

بيّضت وجهك يا منفوش فابتهجت

لمّا رأتك عيون هُنّ سودات

لمّا رأتك عيون هُنّ سودات

You whitened your face, O manfush, bringing delight

Your face whitened, oh pasta, so you rejoiced

to dark eyes when they saw you.

When your eyes, oh dark ones, saw you

مرآة وجهك أحداقي بها ارتسمت

مرآة وجهك أحداقي بها ارتسمت

كأنها فيك إذا شامتك شامات

كأنها فيك إذا شامتك شامات

My pupils were reflected in the mirror of your face,

The mirror of your face, my gazes were depicted in it

as though, when they beheld you, they were beauty spots upon you.

As if when they met you, they were introductions

يا قاهرية كم ذا تقهرين حشا

يا قاهرية كم ذا تقهرين حشا

ما أنت لولا الحشا فيه احتمالات

ما أنت لولا الحشا فيه احتمالات

O qahiriyya, how often you conquer a heart!

Oh cake, how much you conquer passions

What would you be, without the heart's powers of endurance?

What are you without passions in it endurances

يهواك قلبي ولا تهوينه أكذا

يهواك قلبي ولا تهوينه أكذا

تكون عندك ياولدي المجازات

تكون عندك ياولدي المجازات

My heart loves you, yet you do not love it—is this how

My heart loves you and you don't love it... is this how

you give recompense, my child?

Metaphors will be for you my boy

ويا قطايف قلبي طايف بك لا

ويا قطايف قلبي طايف بك لا

تتغفلي عنه ما لي عنك غفلات

تتغفلي عنه ما لي عنك غفلات

And, qatayif, my heart circles round you; do not

And oh pastries, my heart roams with you do not

neglect it; I have no moments of forgetting you.

Neglect it, I have no neglect of you

مُلئت حشواً وأحشائي قد امتلأت

مُلئت حشواً وأحشائي قد امتلأت

شوقاً إليك فهل لي منك شوقات

شوقاً إليك فهل لي منك شوقات

You are filled with stuffing, and my innards are filled

I was filled with stuffing and my insides were filled

with longing for you; have you any longing for me?

With longing for you, so do I have longings from you

لا تَقلَ وصلي ظُلماً يا مُشبّك لا

لا تَقلَ وصلي ظُلماً يا مُشبّك لا

غيري قلاك وما مني جنايات

غيري قلاك وما مني جنايات

Do not unjustly spurn my closeness, O mushabbak—no!

Do not say my connection is injustice, oh cream roll, no

Another fried you; I have committed no offenses.

One said you to me and I have no crimes

يا حاوي السكر المنثور كم نظمت

يا حاوي السكر المنثور كم نظمت

في روضة القلب مُذ وافيت بهجات

في روضة القلب مُذ وافيت بهجات

O bearer of scattered sugar, how many joys you have strung

Oh container of scattered sugar, how much have I composed

in the heart's garden since you arrived!

In the garden of the heart since I came with joys

ويا كنافة ما أنت انفشي فلكم

ويا كنافة ما أنت انفشي فلكم

أضحت تحاكيك من عقلي خُبالات

أضحت تحاكيك من عقلي خُبالات

And, kunafa, what are you? Fluff yourself up, for how often

And oh kanafa, what are you! Reveal for how much

wild fancies from my mind have come to resemble you!

Have foolish thoughts imitated you from my mind

إن افتخرت بقطر واحد فأنا

إن افتخرت بقطر واحد فأنا

أبي وأمي وأصحابي قطارات

أبي وأمي وأصحابي قطارات

If you boast of a single drizzle of syrup, then I,

If I boast with one drop then I am

my father, my mother, and my friends are streams of syrup!

My father, mother, and friends railroads

يا مَن تفرّق نظمي في شمائلهم

يا مَن تفرّق نظمي في شمائلهم

ما استجمعت لي بكم في الدهر شملات

ما استجمعت لي بكم في الدهر شملات

O you among whose charms my verse has been scattered,

Oh you who scattered my composition in their attributes

never in my lifetime have I enjoyed a reunion with you.

I have never gathered with you in life gatherings

قضيت في مطلكم عمري وصبري قد

قضيت في مطلكم عمري وصبري قد

قضى وما قضيت منكم لبانات

قضى وما قضيت منكم لبانات

I have spent my life enduring your delays, and my patience has

I spent my life and patience in your view, and my patience has

expired, yet none of my desires for you has been fulfilled.

Run out, and I have not run out of you, oh sweets