مَن ذا الذِي لا يَستجِيبُ إِذا دُعِي

مَن ذا الذِي لا يَستجِيبُ إِذا دُعِي

مِنكُم إلَى سَمَرٍ لذيذٍ مُمتِع

مِنكُم إلَى سَمَرٍ لذيذٍ مُمتِع

Who is there who would not respond when invited

Who is there that would not respond when called

By you to a delightful, enjoyable evening gathering—

To join in pleasant, joyful conversation

سمَرٍ مَع الأستاذِ عبدِ القادرِ ال

سمَرٍ مَع الأستاذِ عبدِ القادرِ ال

صَحرَاويِّ الندبِ الأديبِ اللوذَعي

صَحرَاويِّ الندبِ الأديبِ اللوذَعي

An evening with Professor Abd al-Qadir al-

With the professor Abdelkader al-Sahrawi

Sahrawi, the gallant, quick-witted man of letters?

The composer, the literary man of refinement

لكن دَعوتَ إلى التَّلطُّف فلتَكُن

لكن دَعوتَ إلى التَّلطُّف فلتَكُن

مُتَلطِفا واقبَل مُلاَحظَتِي وَعِ

مُتَلطِفا واقبَل مُلاَحظَتِي وَعِ

But you called for courtesy, so be

But you have called for gentleness, so let

Courteous, accept my observation, and take heed.

Me be gentle and accept my observation and excuse

لِلَذَاذَةٍ ولِمُتعَة شوَّالُ مَع

لِلَذَاذَةٍ ولِمُتعَة شوَّالُ مَع

ذي قِعدة لا شَهر صَومٍ مُوجِع

ذي قِعدة لا شَهر صَومٍ مُوجِع

For delight and enjoyment: Shawwal, together with

For the delight and the pleasure of Shawwal with

Dhu al-Qa'dah—not a painful month of fasting.

One who sits, not a month of fasting that hurts

ما كانَ عِندي أَن تُوجِّهَ دَعوةً

ما كانَ عِندي أَن تُوجِّهَ دَعوةً

كانَ الجديرُ بها جَنابَ المسمع

كانَ الجديرُ بها جَنابَ المسمع

I had not expected you to send an invitation

It was not my intention that you extend an invitation

Whose worthy recipient was His Honor, the reciter.

To one who was deserving of it, sir listening

فلِذا أتيتُ مُرِّددا بَيتا بهَم

فلِذا أتيتُ مُرِّددا بَيتا بهَم

سٍ خَوفَ أَرعَنَ قد يُردِّدُه معِي

سٍ خَوفَ أَرعَنَ قد يُردِّدُه معِي

So I came, repeating a verse in a whis-

So for that reason I came repeating a verse anxiously

per, fearing some reckless fool might repeat it with me:

Fearing confusion that he might repeat with me

هَبطت إليك من المَحَلِّ الأرفعِ

هَبطت إليك من المَحَلِّ الأرفعِ

وَرقاءَ ذَات تَعَزُّزٍ وتَمنُّعِ

وَرقاءَ ذَات تَعَزُّزٍ وتَمنُّعِ

Down to you, from the loftiest abode, descended

I descended to you from the most noble abode

A gray dove, proud and reluctant to yield.

Dignity, pride and aloofness

هَذا وآخرُ لفظةٍ لكُمُ بِسا

هَذا وآخرُ لفظةٍ لكُمُ بِسا

دِس أسطرٍ هى لي الشفيعُ فَشفِّع

دِس أسطرٍ هى لي الشفيعُ فَشفِّع

That said, the last word addressed to you in the six-

This and the last utterance to you all with

th line is my intercessor—so accept its intercession.

Six lines, they are for me the intercessor, so intercede