يا أَخَا هَاشِمَ أهْلا

يا أَخَا هَاشِمَ أهْلا

بالَّذِي قُلت وسَهْلاَ

بالَّذِي قُلت وسَهْلاَ

O brother of Hashim, welcome

O brother of Hashim, hello

to what you have said—a warm welcome!

With what you said so smoothly

وجَزَاكَ اللَّهُ عَمَّا قُلتَ

وجَزَاكَ اللَّهُ عَمَّا قُلتَ

فَوقَ الفَضْلِ فَضْلا

فَوقَ الفَضْلِ فَضْلا

And may God reward you for what you said

And may God reward you for what you said

with bounty beyond bounty.

Above excellence, more excellence

لَبِسَ الكَسْكُوس مِنْ مدَحِكَ

لَبِسَ الكَسْكُوس مِنْ مدَحِكَ

فَضْلاً لَيسَ يَبْلَى

فَضْلاً لَيسَ يَبْلَى

Couscous has donned, through your praise,

Al-kaskoos wears your praise

a distinction that never wears out.

An excellence that does not wear away

فَهوَ أشْهَى كُلِّ مأكُولٍ

فَهوَ أشْهَى كُلِّ مأكُولٍ

وأعْلاَهُ وأَغْلَى

وأعْلاَهُ وأَغْلَى

Thus it is the most appetizing of all foods,

It is more delicious than any edible

the finest and the most precious.

Higher and more expensive

وهو أشْهَى لي من الكَنْ

وهو أشْهَى لي من الكَنْ

عَدِ والميْدِ المُقَلَّى

عَدِ والميْدِ المُقَلَّى

And to me it is tastier than kingfish

It is more delicious to me than wheat

and fried mullet.

And roasted meat well done

لا تَرَى الآكِلَ مِنْهُ

لا تَرَى الآكِلَ مِنْهُ

أَلْفَ رَطْلٍ يَتَملاّ

أَلْفَ رَطْلٍ يَتَملاّ

You never see someone who eats it—

You don't see one who eats it

even a thousand ratls—grow full.

A thousand pounds getting full

ما تَرَاءَى من بَعيدٍ

ما تَرَاءَى من بَعيدٍ

لِيَ يوماً قَطُّ إلاَّ

لِيَ يوماً قَطُّ إلاَّ

Never did it appear from afar

Never once I saw from afar

to me, on any day, without

Except my heart greeted it

سَلَّمَ القَلْبُ عَليهِ

سَلَّمَ القَلْبُ عَليهِ

وعَليهِ البَطنُ صَلَّى

وعَليهِ البَطنُ صَلَّى

my heart greeting it

And my stomach prayed upon it

and my belly praying over it.

The color of egg whites

كَثُغُورِ البِيْضِ لَوْنَا

كَثُغُورِ البِيْضِ لَوْنَا

وبَنَان البِيْضِ شَكْلاً

وبَنَان البِيْضِ شَكْلاً

Like fair women's teeth in color,

And eggs in shape

and fair women's fingers in shape.

Soft thorns that didn't

لَيِّنُ الشَّوكِ كما لَمْ

لَيِّنُ الشَّوكِ كما لَمْ

تَمنع الأَهْدَابُ قَتْلاَ

تَمنع الأَهْدَابُ قَتْلاَ

Its spines are soft, just as

Prevent the touchers being killed

eyelashes have not prevented killing.

We haven't seen a name before

ما رَأَينا قَبلَهُ اسْماً

ما رَأَينا قَبلَهُ اسْماً

ظَلَّ في الأَلْسِنِ يُتْلَى

ظَلَّ في الأَلْسِنِ يُتْلَى

Before it, we had never seen a name

That lingered on tongues being mentioned

that was continually recited on tongues:

It came seduced and intoxicating

رَاحَ مَنْكوحاً ومَشْرُو

رَاحَ مَنْكوحاً ومَشْرُو

باً وأضْحَى بَعْدُ أكْلاَ

باً وأضْحَى بَعْدُ أكْلاَ

it was once something bedded and something drunk,

And later became edible

and afterward became something eaten.

O excellent describer, why not

يا بَديعَ الوَصْفِ هَلاَّ

يا بَديعَ الوَصْفِ هَلاَّ

زِدْتَ في وصفِكَ هَلاَّ

زِدْتَ في وصفِكَ هَلاَّ

O wondrous describer, why did you not

Add more to your description, why not

add more to your description—why not—

You filled the hearing with description

فَمَلأْتَ السَّمعَ وصْفاً

فَمَلأْتَ السَّمعَ وصْفاً

حِينَ فَاتَ الفَمُ أكْلاَ

حِينَ فَاتَ الفَمُ أكْلاَ

and so fill my hearing with description,

When the mouth missed the edible

when my mouth missed out on food?

And perhaps God will make

ولَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أن يجعَلَ

ولَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أن يجعَلَ

هَذَا القَوْلَ فِعْلاَ

هَذَا القَوْلَ فِعْلاَ

And perhaps God will turn

This words into action

these words into action.