يا مَن قَليبُ إِخائِهِ

صافٍ بِلا كَدَرِ اِنقِلابِ

O you whose heart is pure of any turbidity,

It would be best for me this evening,

لِيَ فَضلَةٌ أَمسِيَّةً

إِحضارُها عَينُ الصَوابِ

To bring some chickens from Syria,

Which only students have tasted,

مِن أَفرُخٍ شامِيَّةٍ

ما شامَها إِلّا طِلابي

The young man went early with them,

To an oven of blazing inflammation,

بَكَرَ الغُلامُ بِها إِلى

ضَريمٍ لَموعِ الإِلتِهابِ

And brought them back with their clothes,

Having turned saffron yellow,

وَأَعادَها مِنهُ وَقَد

صارَت مُزَعفَرَ الثِيابِ

And soft ducks whose feathers had just emerged,

And mustard greens pure and lush,

وَنَقانِقٌ حُشفُ الشَطا

طِ وَخَردَلٌ صافي الرُضابِ

And eggs that were loaded,

With patterns of embroidery,

وَبَوارِدٌ قَد حُمِّلَت

جَرّاتُها طُرُزُ السَذابِ

Some stuffed and some with holes,

And some pickled, diffusing under every lid,

مِنها المُمَسَّكَةَ الغِلا

لَةَ وَالمُخَلَّقَةَ الإِهابِ

There is hummus that makes the spoon ring,

And baba ghanoush free of any fault,

وَمُخَلَّلاتٍ تَنتَشي

في كُلِّ شافِ الحِجابِ

And zucchinis stewed,

Like musk melted into perfume,

تَدوي الخُمارَ وَمَن بِهِ

مِن عِلَّةِ الصَفراءِ ما بي

So if you are satisfied, you would please us,

By smelling the smoke of kebab,

وَكَوامِخٌ بَيتِيَّةٌ

كَمُخَمِّرِ المِسكِ المُذابِ

And we have an old lady, whose era,

Is of a distant time of youth,

فَإِنِ اِنقتَنَعتَ أَرَحتَنا

مِن شَمِّ دُخّانِ الكَبابِ

Her deeds are aloof,

From any blame or flaw,

وَلَنا عَجوزٌ عَهدُها

عَهدٌ بَعيدٌ بِالشَبابِ

She always endeared herself,

By wearing crowns of seeds,

عِنَبِيَّةٌ أَفعالُها

في مَعزِلٍ عَن كُلِّ عابِ

A maiden like the excuse,

That is led by the blamer of reproach,

أَبَداً تَحَبَّبَ نَفسَها

بِلِباسِ تيجانِ الحِبابِ

And we have a skilled singer,

Whose strings are full of turmoil,

عَذراءُ كَالعُذرِ الَّذي

يَقتادُهُ حادي العِتابِ

His focus is his habit,

And embracing him is my pursuit,

وَلَنا مُغَنٍّ حاذِقٌ

أَوتارُهُ ذاتَ اِصطِخابِ

If a freeman comes, his singing,

I make him soften to choose me,

إِلمامُهُ بِيَ دَأَبُهُ

وَالإِشتِمالُ عَلَيهِ دابي

And for our grace and elegance,

Is the taste of avoiding avoidance,

إِن جاءَ حُرٌّ غِنائُهُ

مَلَّكتُهُ رَقَّ اِنتِخابي

And we have three, we never hunted,

For pleasure with coercion,

وَلِلَوزِنا وَلِنَبقِنا

طَعمُ اِجتِنابِ الإِجتِنابِ

So with the camphor of dew in it,

Above the musk of mist,

وَلَنا ثَلاثٌ لَم نَصِد

فيها سُروراً بِاِستِلابِ

Unless you come in the morning,

To apologize for the discord,

فَبِتيهِ كافورِ النَدى

فيهِ عَلى مِسكِ الضَبابِ

So I have explained the situation,

And clarified it for you in my letter,

إِلّا أَتَيتِ عَلى الصِبا

لِلإِعتِذارِ عَلى التَصابي

If it comes and you read it,

Then be the answer without answer.

فَالحالُ قَد فَصَّلتُها

وَشَرَحتُها لَكَ في كِتابي

فَإِذا أَتى وَقَرَأتَهُ

فَكُنِ الجَوابَ بِلا جَوابِ