عباس إن ابني لي مفزعٌ

عباس إن ابني لي مفزعٌ

من وحشة العيش ومن نكره

من وحشة العيش ومن نكره

Abbas, my son is indeed a refuge for me

Abbas, my son is my refuge

From life's loneliness and its strangeness.

From the loneliness of living and from hatred

يؤنسني في وحشتي هذره

يؤنسني في وحشتي هذره

فلا عدمت الأنس من هذره

فلا عدمت الأنس من هذره

His prattle keeps me company in my loneliness;

His chatter comforts me in my loneliness

May I never lack the comfort of his prattle.

I hope his chatter never ceases to comfort me

ووثبه بين ألاعيبه

ووثبه بين ألاعيبه

وكلها أكبر من قدره

وكلها أكبر من قدره

And his leaping amid his games—

And his jumping between his toys

All of them beyond his powers—

Though they're all too big for him

وضربه هذا وتقبيل ذا

وضربه هذا وتقبيل ذا

وكلهم ساعٍ إلى بره

وكلهم ساعٍ إلى بره

And his hitting this one and kissing that one,

Hitting this one and kissing that

Though all are striving to be kind to him.

And they're all trying to be good to him

وصده طوراً وإقباله

وصده طوراً وإقباله

وليس ما يدعو إلى غدره

وليس ما يدعو إلى غدره

And his turning away at times, then drawing near,

Pushing one away and turning to another

Though nothing calls for his treachery.

Though there's no call for deceit

يركب ظهري غير مستغفر

يركب ظهري غير مستغفر

حب به طفلاً على كبره

حب به طفلاً على كبره

He rides my back without asking pardon;

He rides my back unapologetically

How dear a child he is, despite his pride!

Loving him as a child despite his age

مستهترٌ لا يتقي قالةً

مستهترٌ لا يتقي قالةً

ولا يبالي الناس من فجره

ولا يبالي الناس من فجره

Reckless, he fears no gossip,

Reckless, fearing no rebuke

And in his impudence cares nothing for people.

And uncaring of people's disapproval

لكنه فاعلم فتى طيع

لكنه فاعلم فتى طيع

يبرني حقي من شكره

يبرني حقي من شكره

But know that he is an obedient lad:

But know he is an obedient boy

He honors me with the gratitude I am due.

Who repays me for his upbringing

يلثم كفى كل يومٍ ولا

يلثم كفى كل يومٍ ولا

يضن بالقبلة من ثغره

يضن بالقبلة من ثغره

He kisses my hand each day, and never

He kisses my hand every day without

Begrudges a kiss from his lips.

Stinting on a kiss from his mouth

أبلغ إلى عزوز أطرابه

أبلغ إلى عزوز أطرابه

وشكره المدفون في صدره

وشكره المدفون في صدره

Convey to Azzuz his delight

Convey to ‘Azzouz his longings

And the gratitude buried in his breast.

And the thanks buried in his chest

وقل له إن فتى مازن

وقل له إن فتى مازن

يدعوك عزوز إلى مصره

يدعوك عزوز إلى مصره

And tell him: 'Indeed, the lad of Mazin

And say to him that a Ma’azini lad

Invites you, Azzuz, to his Egypt.'

‘Azzouz, calls you to Egypt

أيهما باللَه يا صاحبي

أيهما باللَه يا صاحبي

أجمل إذ يخطو إلى عثره

أجمل إذ يخطو إلى عثره

Which of the two, by God, my friend,

O friend, which by God is more beautiful

Is lovelier as he steps toward his fall?

When he stumbles in his walk

ومن ترى يا صاحبي منهما

ومن ترى يا صاحبي منهما

بالسامري أشبه في أمره

بالسامري أشبه في أمره

And which of them, my friend, do you think

And which do you think, my friend

Is more like the Samaritan in his conduct?

Resembles the Samaritan in his matter

رباه جبريل على دينه

رباه جبريل على دينه

وشب مطويا على غيره

وشب مطويا على غيره

Gabriel reared him in his faith,

Gabriel raised him in his religion

Yet he grew up inwardly devoted to another.

And he grew covering others

ولم يفده طول تسبيحه

ولم يفده طول تسبيحه

في سره طوراً وفي جهره

في سره طوراً وفي جهره

His long hymns of praise availed him nothing,

And his long glorification did not help

Now in private, now aloud.

Whether secretly or openly

ولم يغير ذاك من نجره

ولم يغير ذاك من نجره

ولا أحال الفرع عن جذره

ولا أحال الفرع عن جذره

Nor did that change his native stock,

And that did not change his carpenter way

Nor turn the branch away from its root.

Nor turn the branch from its root

لما غدا موسى إلى ربه

لما غدا موسى إلى ربه

أضل إسرائيل من فوره

أضل إسرائيل من فوره

When Moses went to his Lord,

When Moses went to his Lord

The Samaritan at once led Israel astray,

He led Israel astray immediately

وجاءهم بالعجل مستحقراً

وجاءهم بالعجل مستحقراً

أحلامهم يضحك في سره

أحلامهم يضحك في سره

And brought them the calf, scorning

And he brought them the calf, scorning

Their understanding, laughing to himself.

Their dreams, laughing secretly

ومن ترى موسى الكليم الذي

ومن ترى موسى الكليم الذي

رباه فرعون على كفره

رباه فرعون على كفره

And which do you see as Moses, God's interlocutor, whom

And who do you see is Moses the Converser

Pharaoh reared amid his unbelief?

Whom Pharaoh raised on his disbelief

رياه فرعون فما راعه

رياه فرعون فما راعه

إلّا نبيٌّ في فتى بره

إلّا نبيٌّ في فتى بره

Pharaoh reared him, only to be startled

Pharaoh saw him and was not deterred

By a prophet in the youth he had cherished,

Except by a prophet in a pious lad

يدعو إلى اللَه ورضوانه

يدعو إلى اللَه ورضوانه

وبوعد الجبار في قصره

وبوعد الجبار في قصره

Calling to God and His good pleasure,

Calling to God and His approval

And threatening the tyrant in his palace.

And to the Almighty’s promise in his palace

لا مال أخشى منه إتلافه

لا مال أخشى منه إتلافه

عباس ي المقبل من عمره

عباس ي المقبل من عمره

I have no wealth I fear he might squander,

I do not fear the loss of wealth

Abbas, in the years of life ahead of him.

Abbas, in his advancing years

ولا أباليه إذا ما غدا

ولا أباليه إذا ما غدا

يزهد في العيش وفي وفره

يزهد في العيش وفي وفره

Nor do I mind if he should come

Nor do I care if when he grows up

To disdain life and its abundance,

He loses interest in life and its comforts

يعدو على الناس بسوءاته

يعدو على الناس بسوءاته

ولا يصيب الناس من خيره

ولا يصيب الناس من خيره

Assailing people with his misdeeds,

Assailing people with his sins

While they receive none of his goodness.

Without benefiting people with his virtues

ولست أخشى أن أراه فتىً

ولست أخشى أن أراه فتىً

قد وسع العالم من شره

قد وسع العالم من شره

Nor do I fear to see him a young man

And I do not dread seeing him a lad

Who has filled the world with his evil.

Who has filled the world with his evil

لكنما أشفق يا صاحبي

لكنما أشفق يا صاحبي

من أن يجيش الشعر في صدره

من أن يجيش الشعر في صدره

But this I fear, my friend:

Rather, my friend, I dread

That poetry should surge within his breast.

Poetry surging in his chest

من يشتري شعري على حيه

من يشتري شعري على حيه

براحة الغافل عن دهره

براحة الغافل عن دهره

Who would buy my poetry, however much he loves it,

Who will buy my poetry scorning

With the peace of one heedless of his times?

The heedless one’s life of ease

من يشتري تغريدتي موهناً

من يشتري تغريدتي موهناً

بغطة الذاهل عن فجره

بغطة الذاهل عن فجره

Who would buy my song late at night

Who will buy my warbling debasing

With the snore of one oblivious to his dawn?

The oblivious one’s dawn

من يشتري دمعاً يحس الفتى

من يشتري دمعاً يحس الفتى

جولته لا الفيض من قطره

جولته لا الفيض من قطره

Who would buy tears—a young man feels

Who will buy a tear that reveals to the lad

Their coursing, not the outpouring of their drops?

Its wandering, not its outpouring

من يشتري نفساً وآلامها

من يشتري نفساً وآلامها

بثقلة المأفوك في فكره

بثقلة المأفوك في فكره

Who would buy a soul and its sufferings

Who will buy a soul and its torments

With the dullness of a deluded man's thought?

For one heavily burdened in thought

من يشتري هذا سوى مائق

من يشتري هذا سوى مائق

يسعى برجليه إلى ضره

يسعى برجليه إلى ضره

Who would buy this but a fool

Who will buy this but a frequenter of wine

Hastening on his own two feet to his own harm?

Seeking harm with both feet