1. يا سَيِّدا أَركانُ عَليائِهِ

    في ذَروَةِ العَيّوقِ مَبنِيّه

    O master, the pillars of whose lofty glory

    Are built at the summit of Capella.

  2. عِندِيَ فَرّوجانِ ما مِنهُما

    إِلّا اشبنُ هِندِيٍ وَهِندِيَّه

    I have two young chickens, neither of them

    Other than the offspring of an Indian cock and hen.

  3. قَد عُمِلَ الواحِدُ تُبّالَةً

    وَأَصلَحَ الآخَرَ مَصلِيَّه

    One has been prepared as tubbala,

    And the other has been made into a roast.

  4. وَأَفرُخٌ ما بَينَ سَنبوسِجٍ

    عَلَيهِ أَثوابُ خَلوقِيَّه

    And young chickens amid sambusaj pastries,

    Clad in saffron-colored robes.

  5. وَنِصفُ جَدى بارِدٍ أُمُّهُ

    كَما حَكى الجَلّابُ حَوفِيَّه

    And half a cold kid, whose mother,

    As the dealer related, was from Hawf.

  6. وَمَجمَعٌ بَينَ كَواميخِهِ

    مُخَلَّلاتٌ غَيرَ سوقِيَّه

    And an assortment, among its relishes,

    Of pickles not bought in the market.

  7. وَمِن بَناتِ البَرِّ دُرّاجَةٌ

    وَمِن بَناتِ البَحرِ بَنِّيَّه

    And from the daughters of the land, a francolin;

    And from the daughters of the sea, a bunni fish.

  8. قَد طَبَختُ لَكَ وَهاتيكَ قَد

    جاءَبِها الطاهِيُّ مَشوِيَّه

    I have cooked it for you; and that other has

    Been brought by the cook, roasted.

  9. في جَونَةٍ تَهتَزُّ أَعطافُها

    في حُلَلٍ لِلبَقلِ جيزِيَّه

    In a basket whose sides sway

    In robes of greens from Giza.

  10. يَلوحُ فيها لِلفَتى إِن حَدَت

    بِهِ إِلى رُؤيَتِها نِيَّه

    There gleams within it for a young man, if he is led

    By a wish to look upon it,

  11. زَيتونَةٌ صَفراءَ قَيسِيَّةٌ

    وَجُبنَةٌ بَيضاءُ خيسِيَّه

    A yellow Qaysi olive,

    And a white Khisi cheese.

  12. وَخَلُّ خَمرٍ هُوَ لي عُدَّةٌ

    في جَرَّةٍ عِندِيَ بِبَتِيَّه

    And wine vinegar I keep in reserve,

    In a Bibati jar I have at hand.

  13. وَدُقَّةٍ كافورُ أَبرازِها

    مُختَلِطٌ مِنها بِمِسكِيَّه

    And dukkah, the camphor of whose spices

    Is mingled with its musky portion.

  14. وَلَيسَ يَخلو حينَ تَأتيكَ مِن

    رُقاقَةٍ فيها وَفُرنِيَّه

    Nor will it lack, when it reaches you,

    A thin flatbread within, and an oven-baked loaf.

  15. وَإِن يَكُن عِندِيَ لَوزَينَجٌ

    مَلَأتُ مِنهُ لَكَ زُبدِيَّه

    And if I have lawzinaj,

    I shall fill a bowl of it for you.

  16. بَلى لَنا مِن بَعدَ ذا نَكرَةٍ

    وَقَطرَميزٌ وَبُلَسقِيَّه

    Yes, after this we have something unfamiliar,

    And a glass jar and a bulasqiyya vessel.

  17. قَد قَطَفَ الغِلمانِ فيها لَنا

    سُلافَةً عَذراءَ كَرمِيَّه

    The lads have gathered in it for us

    Virgin, vine-born, first-drawn wine.

  18. واضِحَةَ الثَغرِ لَها وَجنَةٌ

    ساطِعَةُ اللألاءِ وَردِيَّه

    Bright-mouthed, she has a cheek

    Rosy and radiant with brilliance.

  19. يَزُفُّها في كاسِها مُنصِفٌ

    سُنَّتُهُ في السَقى مَرضِيَّه

    An even-handed server escorts her in her cup,

    His manner of pouring well approved.

  20. وَقَد تَقَدَّمتُ بِأَخذِ الَّذي

    يُصلِحُ مِن كَوزٍ وَصينِيَّه

    And I have given orders beforehand to take what

    Is suitable—a jug and a tray.

  21. وَفُستُقٌ نَنثُرُهُ بَينَنا

    إِن لَم نَجِد في الوَقتِ نُقلِيَّه

    And pistachios to scatter among us,

    If we find no snacks at the time.

  22. وَعِندَها فاكِهَةٌ كُلُّها

    مِنَ الفُكاهاتِ العَقيلِيَّه

    And alongside it, fruit—all of it

    From al-Uqayli's pleasantries.

  23. تَقَرَّعَ مِنّي في تَضاعيفِها

    سَمعَكَ أَشعارٌ بَديهِيَّه

    From me, in its midst, there will strike

    Your ears some impromptu verses.

  24. وَمُسمِعٌ تَسمَعُ مِنهُ إِذا

    غَنّاكَ أَلحاناً سُرَيجِيَّه

    And a singer from whom you will hear, when

    He sings to you, melodies in Surayj's style,

  25. قَد رُندِجَت بِالنَغَماتِ الَّتي

    تَكونُ في الطَبعِ غَريزِيَّه

    Embellished with the notes that

    Are instinctive to one's nature.

  26. وَقَد حَمَلنا مَعَنا مَفرَشاً

    فيهِ تِكاءاتٌ دَبيقِيَّه

    And we have brought a spread with us,

    With Dabiqi bolsters upon it.

  27. وَاِتَّفَقَ الرَأيُ عَلىنُزهَةٍ

    تَكونُ بِالآدابِ مَجلِيَّه

    And we have agreed upon an outing

    To be graced with the literary arts,

  28. في رَوضَةٍ ريضَت فَحَوذانُها

    مِثلُ الدَنانيرِ العَزيزِيَّه

    In a tended meadow, whose buttercups

    Are like Azizi dinars,

  29. تَهتَزُّ في بُردِ النَباتِ الَّذي

    حاشيتاهُ قَلَمونِيَّه

    Swaying in the cloak of vegetation, whose

    Two borders are of variegated Qalamuni cloth.

  30. وَغَيضَةٍ فوطَةُ مَنثورِها

    مِنها عَلى أَطرافِ صوفِيَّه

    And a grove, whose shawl of stock blossoms

    Spreads from it over woolen fringes,

  31. تُحفِها خُضرُ الغُصونِ الَّتي

    تُجلى بِأَثمارٍ عَقيقِيَّه

    Is surrounded by green boughs that

    Are adorned with agate-like fruit.

  32. فَاِنشُر إِلى داري خَطاكَ الَّتي

    تَظَلُّ في دارِكَ مَطوِيَّه

    So unfold toward my house those steps of yours

    That remain folded within your own.

  33. فَالجيزَةُ الحَسناءُ في حُلَّةٍ

    مِن حُلُلِ الخَيرِيِّ تِبرِيَّه

    For beautiful Giza wears a robe,

    Golden, from the robes of wallflowers.

  34. مُروجُها مِن زَهرِها قَد حَكَت

    بُسطاً مِنَ الديباجِ رومِيَّه

    Its meadows, with their blossoms, have resembled

    Carpets of Roman brocade.

  35. بَينَ رُبىً تَنفَحُنا النَدَّ مِن

    مَجمَرَةٍ مِنها وَكِمِّيَّه

    Among hills wafting fragrant incense to us from

    A censer of theirs, and a kimmiyya [unclear].

  36. يَشتامُ فيها لَحَظاتٍ سُدىً

    قَد آنَ أَن تُصبِحَ مَرعِيَّه

    One casts unheeded glances there;

    It is time for them to be heeded.

  37. فَاِسرِع إِلَيها قَبلَ تَبدو لَنا

    بِزَعفَرانِ الشَمسِ مَطلِيَّه

    So hurry there before it appears to us

    Painted with the saffron of the sun.

  38. فَبَينَنا ما يَقتَضي أَن تُرى

    حَوائِجي عِندَكَ مَقضِيَّه

    For what lies between us calls for seeing

    My requests fulfilled by you.