حيّت حمى حلب أنفاس غادية

حيّت حمى حلب أنفاس غادية

مشّاءةٍ بنميم الروض غماز

مشّاءةٍ بنميم الروض غماز

The breaths of a morning raincloud greeted Aleppo’s sanctuary,

The breaths of the fever of Aleppo have greeted

a wanderer bearing the garden’s gossip, a tale-bearer.

Mingling with the perfume of the meadows a coquette

كم ليلةٍ تم يا ليلاي قد قنعت

كم ليلةٍ تم يا ليلاي قد قنعت

عني بمسرع خطو الطيف هماز

عني بمسرع خطو الطيف هماز

How many a night ended, O my Layla, when I had settled

How many nights, O my nights, have you been satisfied

for a fault-finding dream-phantom, its footsteps hurrying away from me.

With the hasty steps of the specter as a procrastinator

كأنّ وصلكِ مالٌ في يمين فتًى

كأنّ وصلكِ مالٌ في يمين فتًى

ما ماله في يديه غير مجتاز

ما ماله في يديه غير مجتاز

Union with you is like wealth in a young man’s right hand,

As if your union were wealth in the hand of a young man

whose wealth merely passes through his hands.

Who has nothing in his hands but unripe fruit

إلى العفاة سبوق قبل مسئلة

إلى العفاة سبوق قبل مسئلة

حاشا جواد عطاه ذكر مهماز

حاشا جواد عطاه ذكر مهماز

He hastens to those seeking gifts, before they ask;

To the naked I would give charity before being asked

far be mention of a spur from the steed of his bounty.

Far be it from a generous steed to be called undutiful

أما نوال ابن يحيى فهو صنعته

أما نوال ابن يحيى فهو صنعته

سرًّا وجهرًا كما قد قيل خرازي

سرًّا وجهرًا كما قد قيل خرازي

As for Ibn Yahya’s bounty, it is his craft,

As for the grace of Ibn Yahya it is his making

in secret and openly, as has been said: “my leather-stitcher” [phrase unclear].

Secretly and openly as has been said, a confectioner

أهلاً بمقدمه العالي فحيث بدا

أهلاً بمقدمه العالي فحيث بدا

فأضبعٌ منه من نيل الوفا هازي

فأضبعٌ منه من نيل الوفا هازي

Welcome to his exalted arrival! For wherever he appears,

Welcome to him whose high procession has appeared

then “hyenas” from him mock the Nile in full flood [wording unclear].

For then hands stretched out from him giving overflowing loyalty

أشتاق أهلي وأولادي ليطربهم

أشتاق أهلي وأولادي ليطربهم

من رؤيتي نظم جزار وخباز

من رؤيتي نظم جزار وخباز

I long for my family and children, that they may be delighted,

I yearn for my family and children to delight them

at the sight of me, by the poetry of Jazzar and Khabbaz.

With the rhythm of my poetry, a butcher and a baker