مَاذَا لَقينَا بِمَاغُوسٍ مِنَ اللَّغَطِ

لَيْلاً وَمِنْ هَرَج الأَحْرَاسِ وَالشُّرِطِ

What did we endure in Magoos at night

Of the clamor of guards and police?

وَمِنْ رَدَاءَةِ مَاءٍ لاَ يَسُوغُ لَنَا

شَرَابُ جُرْعَتِهِ إِلاَّ عَلَى شَطَطِ

Of foul water not fit for us to drink

Except by overindulging to excess

وَمِنْ لُغَاتٍ حَوَالَيْنَا مُبَرْبَرَةٍ

كَأَنَّنَا فِي بِلاَدِ الزَّنْجِ وَالنَّبَطِ

Languages surrounding us, garbled

As though we were in the lands of Zanj and Nabat

جَرْدَاءُ لاَ شَجَرَاتٌ يُسْتَظَلُّ بِهَا

وَلاَ أَنِيسٌ يُرِيحُ النَّفْسَ مِن قَنَطِ

Barren, no trees for shade

No friend to refresh the weary soul

مَنَارُها قَعَدَ الْبَانِي بِنِصْبَتِهِ

فَلاَ تُشِيرُ إِلَيْهِ عَيْنُ مُغْتَبِطِ

Its minaret, the builder placed crookedly

No cheerful eye gestures towards it

كَأَنَّهُ فَيْشَةٌ جَاءُوا لِقُلْفَتِهَا

بِخَاتِنٍ قَطَّ مِنْهَا النِّصْفَ عَنْ غَلَطِ

As if it were a rag-doll they came to strip

Of its clothing, taking half away erroneously

لَكِنَّ فَاضِلَ كُتَّابِ الشُّرُوُطِ بِهَا

يَحْيَ أَبَرَّ فَتَىً لِلْفَضْلِ مُشْتَرِطٍ

But the eminent scribes of conditions therein

Revived the finest young man strictly principled

أَحْيَى بِهَا الأُنْسَ يَحْيَى بَعْدَ وَحْشِتَهَا

وَنَابَ عَنْ جُمْلَةٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّمَطِ

Yahya revived companionship after its desolation

And substituted for all of that flawed pattern