ألذُّ من فائقةِ الإبهَطِّ

ألذُّ من فائقةِ الإبهَطِّ

ومن شِوا سَمْطٍ نظيف السَّمط

ومن شِوا سَمْطٍ نظيف السَّمط

Tastier than the finest rice pudding,

Sweeter than the excess of stupidity

And than a roast of cleanly scalded meat,

And purer than well-cooked wheat porridge

ولحم طيرٍ وصدور البطِّ

ولحم طيرٍ وصدور البطِّ

خُرطومُ سلسالٍ من الإسْفنطِ

خُرطومُ سلسالٍ من الإسْفنطِ

And bird meat and duck breasts,

And the flesh of birds and duck breasts

Is the smooth-flowing first run of isfant wine,

A proboscis of a chained elephant

في قريةٍ من قَرَياتِ القبْطِ

في قريةٍ من قَرَياتِ القبْطِ

بسرَّ من را في نسيم الشط

بسرَّ من را في نسيم الشط

In a village among the villages of the Copts,

In a village of Coptic villages

In Samarra, in the breeze off the riverbank.

With a secret from one who saw in the river wind

قِبطيةٌ في حُللِ ومِرط

قِبطيةٌ في حُللِ ومِرط

لعبةُ عاجٍ صورة في خَرط

لعبةُ عاجٍ صورة في خَرط

A Coptic woman in robes and a mantle,

A Coptic woman in robes and skirt

An ivory doll, a figure shaped by carving,

An ivory figurine shaped in a mold

جاءت به مُشدَّداً بالشَّرطِ

جاءت به مُشدَّداً بالشَّرطِ

خوادمٌ يحملنه بضبطِ

خوادمٌ يحملنه بضبطِ

Brought it tightly bound with straps,

She brought it, bound by the condition

Maidservants carrying it with care,

Servants carry it carefully

كأنه بعضُ رجال الزُّطِ

كأنه بعضُ رجال الزُّطِ

قالت نحُطُّ الهدْي قلنا حُطِّي

قالت نحُطُّ الهدْي قلنا حُطِّي

As though it were one of the men of the Zutt.

As if it were one of the horsemen's raiment

She said, “Shall we set down the gift?” We said, “Set it down,

She said, "We'll put down the gift," we said, "Put it down"

وكايِلي واحتكمي وخُطّي

وكايِلي واحتكمي وخُطّي

وهذه نُقودُنا فاشتطِّي

وهذه نُقودُنا فاشتطِّي

And measure it out, name your price, and write it down;

And measure it, judge it, outline it

And here are our coins—so overcharge us!”

And here is our money, so be content

فاحتضنت حقويه تحت الإبط

فاحتضنت حقويه تحت الإبط

وانتزعت عنه شِناق الرَّبط

وانتزعت عنه شِناق الرَّبط

Then she clasped both its hips beneath her armpit

She hugged its cheek beneath the armpit

And pulled off its binding strap;

And tore from it the belt of confinement

فارفضَّ ينهلُّ بغير ضبط

فارفضَّ ينهلُّ بغير ضبط

كأنه جُرحٌ عظيمُ البَطّ

كأنه جُرحٌ عظيمُ البَطّ

Then it gushed forth, pouring without restraint,

So it spurted, flowing without control

As though it were a wound with a huge incision.

As if it were a huge, open wound

يكتالُ ما فيه بغير شرط

يكتالُ ما فيه بغير شرط

زقّ النَّفطِ

زقّ النَّفطِ

What it held was taken by measure, without conditions,

Gulping whatever was in it without condition

By a naphtha skin-flask.

I kept watering it and watering my group

ما زلتُ أُسقاها وأسقي رهطي

ما زلتُ أُسقاها وأسقي رهطي

حتى تنادَى القومُ قطِّ قطِّ

حتى تنادَى القومُ قطِّ قطِّ

I kept being served it, and serving my companions,

Until the people cried, "Stop, stop!"

Until the company called to one another, “Enough! Enough!”