دعوت فلبينا ودارك كعبة

دعوت فلبينا ودارك كعبة

بها انعقد الإخلاص والحب طوَّفا

بها انعقد الإخلاص والحب طوَّفا

You called, and we answered; your house is a Kaaba,

You invited me, so I came, your house is like Kaaba

where devotion took firm hold and love circled round.

Where sincerity and love congregate and circumambulate

خميلتنا تهفو إليها قلوبنا

خميلتنا تهفو إليها قلوبنا

وأي فؤاد للخميلة ما هفا

وأي فؤاد للخميلة ما هفا

Our grove—our hearts yearn toward it;

Our imagination yearns for it, our hearts circle around it

and what heart has not yearned for the grove?

And which heart wouldn’t yearn for an imagination?

بنوك الألى تحنو عليهم تعطفا

بنوك الألى تحنو عليهم تعطفا

وترعاهم براً بهم متلطفا

وترعاهم براً بهم متلطفا

Your sons, whom you cherish with tender affection,

Your gracious sons bow to you with compassion

and care for with kindness and gentleness.

And you nurture them with kindness, treating them gently

إذا خلعوا بعض الوقار فدعهم

إذا خلعوا بعض الوقار فدعهم

فمثلك عن مثل الذي صنعوا عفا

فمثلك عن مثل الذي صنعوا عفا

If they cast off some decorum, let them be;

If they shed some dignity, just let them be

for one like you forgives the likes of what they have done.

One like you would forgive what they have done

هنا أطرح الأعباء مثقل كاهل

هنا أطرح الأعباء مثقل كاهل

وخفف من وقريه من قد تخففا

وخفف من وقريه من قد تخففا

Here I lay down my burdens, my shoulders laden,

And lighten the gravity weighing upon me that became lighter

and he who had already eased his load eased his two burdens.

So I leaned on Al-Fadl's generosity, hoping

فمال على الفضل الأباظي طامعا

فمال على الفضل الأباظي طامعا

وأغرق في الجود الأباظي مسرفا

وأغرق في الجود الأباظي مسرفا

Then he turned eagerly to Abazi bounty,

And plunged into Al-Fadl's generosity, extravagant

and plunged to excess into Abazi generosity.

O gathering of night talk, is there a scribe

فيا ندوة السمار هل من مسجل

فيا ندوة السمار هل من مسجل

يدوّن إعجاز القرائح منصفا

يدوّن إعجاز القرائح منصفا

So, O gathering of evening companions, is there a recorder

To record the miracles of minds, impartial

to record fairly the marvels of poetic gifts,

To testify that poetry walked with us

ليشهد أن الشعر شيء مشى بنا

ليشهد أن الشعر شيء مشى بنا

مع الطبع جل الطبع أن يتكلفا

مع الطبع جل الطبع أن يتكلفا

to testify that poetry is something that has walked with us

Excelling most when the nature excelled to pretend

with natural talent—too exalted is talent to be forced;

And it flows in our blood, continuous with the soul

وفي دمنا يجري به متواصلا

وفي دمنا يجري به متواصلا

مع النفس الجاري وينساب مرهفا

مع النفس الجاري وينساب مرهفا

and it flows with that talent through our blood, unceasingly,

Flowing and pouring out, perceptive

with the flowing breath, and streams delicately?

Is there then a transmitter of my words at dawn and a spreader

فهل ناقل عني الغداة وناشر

فهل ناقل عني الغداة وناشر

مقالة صدق قد أبت أن تحرّفا

مقالة صدق قد أبت أن تحرّفا

So will someone convey my words this morning and spread

Of a saying of truth that refused to be distorted

a truthful account that refuses distortion?

A talk of Ghanim, Al-Rudainjut and what

حديث غنيم والردنجوت والذي

حديث غنيم والردنجوت والذي

جرى بيننا ما كنت بالحق مرجفا

جرى بيننا ما كنت بالحق مرجفا

The tale of Ghunaym, the frock coat, and what

Occurred between us, I was not shaking with the truth

passed between us—in truth, I was no rumormonger.

I saw him and plate meets plate

بصرت به والصحن بالصحن يلتقي

بصرت به والصحن بالصحن يلتقي

فلم أر أبهى من غنيم وأظرفا

فلم أر أبهى من غنيم وأظرفا

I caught sight of him as plate met plate,

Never did I see one finer and wittier than Ghanim

and I saw none more splendid or charming than Ghunaym.

Meat appeared to him but he did not know

تراءى له لحم فلم يدر عنده

تراءى له لحم فلم يدر عنده

أديَّكَ من بعد الطوى أم تخرقا

أديَّكَ من بعد الطوى أم تخرقا

Meat appeared before him, and then he did not know

Whether to stab you after folding or to tear

whether, after hunger, he had turned rooster-like or acted foolishly.

And he winked at me asking with it

وأومأ لي باللحظ يسألني به

وأومأ لي باللحظ يسألني به

أتعرفه أومأت باللحظ مسعفا

أتعرفه أومأت باللحظ مسعفا

And he signaled to me with a glance, asking through it,

Do you recognize him? I winked back, helping

"Do you know him?" I signaled with a glance, obligingly.

And I presented it to the rooster and he was as if

وقدمته للديك وهو كأنما

وقدمته للديك وهو كأنما

يطير إليه واثبا متلهفا

يطير إليه واثبا متلهفا

And I introduced him to the rooster, while he seemed

Flying to it, leaping eagerly

to fly toward him, leaping eagerly.

Ghanim, our brother rooster, I presented this to that

غنيم أخونا الديك قدمت ذا لذا

غنيم أخونا الديك قدمت ذا لذا

فهذا لهذا بعد لأي تعرفا

فهذا لهذا بعد لأي تعرفا

"Ghunaym, this is our brother the rooster!" I introduced one to the other;

So this is for that, do you recognize?

so, after some difficulty, each made the other's acquaintance.

And it was but a moment and they flirted

وما هي إلا لحظة وتغازلا

وما هي إلا لحظة وتغازلا

وقد رفعا بعد السلام التكلفا

وقد رفعا بعد السلام التكلفا

Only a moment passed, and the two were flirting,

And after greeting, pretenses were lifted

and after their greeting they had put aside formality.

Neither on the supple neck slashed

فما على الورك الشهي ممزقا

فما على الورك الشهي ممزقا

وما على الصدر النظيف منظفا

وما على الصدر النظيف منظفا

[Then he fell] upon the luscious thigh, tearing it apart,

Nor on the clean chest dressed

and [fell] upon the clean breast, picking it clean.

May God reward the ancient teeth there

جزى الله أسنانا هناك عتيقة

جزى الله أسنانا هناك عتيقة

ظللن على الصحن الأباظي عكفا

ظللن على الصحن الأباظي عكفا

May God reward those ancient teeth there,

That hovered over Al-Fadl's plate, busy

which remained devoted to the Abazi plate.

Al-Naji taunts Al-Rudainjut, saying to him

تعير ناجي بالردنجوت جاءه

تعير ناجي بالردنجوت جاءه

معاراً فغامر واستعر أنت معطفا

معاراً فغامر واستعر أنت معطفا

You taunt Naji over the frock coat that came to him

Provoking, so he took risks and put on a cloak

on loan—so take the plunge and borrow a coat yourself!

And swore if he got Al-Rudainjut

وأقسم لو أن الردنجوت نلته

وأقسم لو أن الردنجوت نلته

وجاد به من جاد كرها وسلفا

وجاد به من جاد كرها وسلفا

And I swear, had you obtained the frock coat,

And someone generous gave it as a gift or loan

and its giver bestowed it grudgingly and on loan,

He would turn it inside out confusing

لقلّبته ظهراً لبطن محيرا

لقلّبته ظهراً لبطن محيرا

به تحسبن الوجه من عبط قفا

به تحسبن الوجه من عبط قفا

you would have turned it back to front, bewildered

You to think the face was the rear or vice versa

by it, mistaking its face for its nape out of foolishness.

I saw you and the lentils were coming, Al-Fadl

رأيتك والعدس الأباظي قادم

رأيتك والعدس الأباظي قادم

كما انتفض المحموم بشر بالشفا

كما انتفض المحموم بشر بالشفا

I saw you, as the Abazi lentils approached,

As the feverish rose when told he was cured

tremble like a fevered man given tidings of recovery.

And enough said about the spectacular sight

وناهيك بالعدس الأباظي منظر

وناهيك بالعدس الأباظي منظر

عظيم كما هيأت للعين متحفا

عظيم كما هيأت للعين متحفا

And the Abazi lentils—what a sight to behold!

Of Al-Fadl's lentils, like a museum prepared for the eye

Magnificent, as though you had prepared a museum for the eye.

Yet no sooner had it come than I saw it

على أنه ما جاء حتى رأيته

على أنه ما جاء حتى رأيته

توارى كطيف لاح في الحلم واختفى

توارى كطيف لاح في الحلم واختفى

Yet scarcely had it arrived before I saw it

Vanish like a specter that appeared in a dream and was gone

vanish like a phantom that appeared in a dream and disappeared.

By God, you let out from your gut a lingering

فلله من لفظ ببطنك راسب

فلله من لفظ ببطنك راسب

قرير ومعناه برأسك قد طفا

قرير ومعناه برأسك قد طفا

By God, what a word lies sunken in your belly,

Murmur whose meaning floated to your head

at ease, while its meaning has floated up in your head!

Stop, shall we cry or laugh, however we are

قفا نبك أو نضحك على أي حالة

قفا نبك أو نضحك على أي حالة

قفا صاحبي اليوم من عجب قفا

قفا صاحبي اليوم من عجب قفا

Stop, you two; let us weep—or laugh, in any case;

Stop my friend, today is of wondrous stop

stop, my two companions, today in astonishment—stop!

As if the girls of the house were in my friend's eye

كأن صحاف الدار في عين صاحبي

كأن صحاف الدار في عين صاحبي

غوان كستهن المحاسن مطرفا

غوان كستهن المحاسن مطرفا

As though the household's platters, in my friend's eyes,

Beauties in their finery, fluttering

were beauties whom their charms had dressed in a richly bordered cloak.

He gestured to one as she emerged for him

أشار لإحداهن إذ برزت له

أشار لإحداهن إذ برزت له

وناجته عن بعد وأبدت تعطفا

وناجته عن بعد وأبدت تعطفا

He pointed to one of them as she appeared before him

And whispered to him from afar, showing care

and whispered to him from afar, showing affection.

Asking who am I while she knows

تسائلني من أنت وهي عليمة

تسائلني من أنت وهي عليمة

وهل بفتى مثلي على حاله خفا

وهل بفتى مثلي على حاله خفا

She asks me, "Who are you?" though she knows well;

Could something be hidden from a lady so fair?

can a fellow like me, in his condition, be hard to recognize?

I will tell her, you're a poet

سأخبرها من أنت إنك شاعر

سأخبرها من أنت إنك شاعر

قنوع إذا ما الخير جاء تفلسفا

قنوع إذا ما الخير جاء تفلسفا

I shall tell her who you are: you are a poet,

Content when good comes, pretending detachment

content with little, who philosophizes whenever bounty comes.

And who are you to reject a gift

ومن أنت حتى ترفض النعمة التي

ومن أنت حتى ترفض النعمة التي

أتيحت وتأبى مثلها متقشفا

أتيحت وتأبى مثلها متقشفا

And who are you to refuse the blessing that

Freely given, refusing the like, abstaining?

was offered, and spurn its like while practicing austerity?

A lad whose state is toil and final place the grave

فتى حاله غلبٌ وآخره الطوى

فتى حاله غلبٌ وآخره الطوى

وخطته عريٌ ومشروعه الحفا

وخطته عريٌ ومشروعه الحفا

A fellow whose lot is misery and whose end is hunger,

Whose path is bare and project is wreck

whose plan is nakedness and whose project is going barefoot.