نِك ابنَ العمّ ذا القربى

وجارَ الجنبِ بالشُفعه

Befriend your cousin, he who's close kin,

Fuck the cousin, that possessor of kinship,

And neighbor sharing the partition wall,

And the neighbor nearby, by right of pre-emption,

ونِك شيخَ الثمانينِ

ولا تخشَ به شُنعه

Befriend the octogenarian chief,

And fuck the sheikh of eighty years,

Don't fear he'll cause you ill at all,

And do not fear any abomination in him,

ومَن طأطأ فاركبهُ

ولو في ليلةِ الجُمُعَه

Whoever bows to you, mount his back,

And whoever stoops low, mount him,

Be it even on Friday's nightfall,

Even if it be on the night of Friday,

ومن لامكَ في هذا

فقُل مَن أنتَ في الرُقعه

And he who blames you in this matter,

And whoever rebukes you for this,

Say "Who are you in this game of chance?"

Say, "Who are you upon the chessboard?"

تقارَعنا فما ندري

على مَن تقعُ القُرعه

We've matched our wits and do not know,

We have cast lots, and we do not know

On whom the lot's dire consequence will fall,

Upon whom the lot shall fall,

فقومَن واسقني الراحَ

على الإعلان والسُمعه

So rise and pour the relief to me,

So arise and pour me the wine,

Despite repute and utterance.

With open declaration and public notoriety.