أتت من بريديِّنا ضرطةٌ

أتت من بريديِّنا ضرطةٌ

فأرسلها مثلاً سائرا

فأرسلها مثلاً سائرا

A fart came from our courier,

A fart came from our Berideen,

so he sent it forth as a widely circulating proverb.

So I sent it on its way.

كذا آل وهب لهم فضلهم

كذا آل وهب لهم فضلهم

يورثه أوَّلٌ آخرا

يورثه أوَّلٌ آخرا

So it is with the house of Wahb: their excellence

Thus the family of Wahb deserved their virtue,

is bequeathed by a forebear to a successor.

The first son inherits it from the last.

مضوْا بُلغاءَ بأفواههم

مضوْا بُلغاءَ بأفواههم

وأستاههم كابراً كابرا

وأستاههم كابراً كابرا

They passed away, eloquent with their mouths

They went with eloquent tongues,

and their arses, elder after elder.

And their masters stubbornly stubborn.

وأبقوا لنا خلفاً صالحاً

وأبقوا لنا خلفاً صالحاً

فلم يُلْفَ عن قصدهم جائرا

فلم يُلْفَ عن قصدهم جائرا

And they left us a worthy successor,

And they left behind a righteous successor,

who was not found straying from their course.

No transgressor strayed from their purpose.

أبا حسنٍ يا لها ضرطةً

أبا حسنٍ يا لها ضرطةً

تركت السمير بها سامرا

تركت السمير بها سامرا

Abu Hasan—what a fart!

O Abu Hassan, what a fart!

With it, you kept the evening companion up talking,

It left Al-Samir entertained.

وزدت بها شاعراً فطنةً

وزدت بها شاعراً فطنةً

وأنبغْتَ من لم يكن شاعرا

وأنبغْتَ من لم يكن شاعرا

and sharpened a poet's wit through it,

With it you increased a poet's wit,

and made a genius of one who was no poet.

And brought out talent in one who was no poet.