وَقَفتُ لَدَيكُم لِلسَلامِ عَلَيكُمُ

وَقَفتُ لَدَيكُم لِلسَلامِ عَلَيكُمُ

وُقوفي عَلى أَطلالِ سَلمى وَعاتِكَه

وُقوفي عَلى أَطلالِ سَلمى وَعاتِكَه

I stood before you to greet you,

I stand before you in peace

as I would stand at the ruins of Salma and Atika.

My standing upon the ruins of my peace and your hostility

يَروعُكَ تَسليمُ العُفاةِ كَأَنَّهُ

يَروعُكَ تَسليمُ العُفاةِ كَأَنَّهُ

بَوادِرُ طَعنٍ في الضُلوعِ مُواشِكَه

بَوادِرُ طَعنٍ في الضُلوعِ مُواشِكَه

The petitioners’ greeting frightens you, as though it were

My harmless greeting startles you

the first swift thrusts into the ribs.

As if it were the beginnings of a fatal stab

وَما فيكُمُ حُرٌّ يُكَرِّمُ ضَيفَهُ

وَما فيكُمُ حُرٌّ يُكَرِّمُ ضَيفَهُ

وَلَكِن إِذا ما شاءَ أَكرَمَ ماسِكَه

وَلَكِن إِذا ما شاءَ أَكرَمَ ماسِكَه

And there is no noble man among you who honors his guest;

None of you is a free man who honors his guest

but, when he wishes, he honors his keeper.

Rather, he honors him if he so desires while holding back

وَإِن كُنتُمُ ناساً وَما أَنتُمُ بِهِ

وَإِن كُنتُمُ ناساً وَما أَنتُمُ بِهِ

فَإِنَّ القُرودَ وَالكِلابَ مَلائِكَه

فَإِنَّ القُرودَ وَالكِلابَ مَلائِكَه

And if you are human—though you are not—

Even if you are people, you are not that

then surely monkeys and dogs are angels.

For monkeys and dogs are better than you