ما إِن وَطِئنا فَناءَ زَيدٍ

ما إِن وَطِئنا فَناءَ زَيدٍ

حَتّى أَتَتنا الكُؤوسُ عَجلى

حَتّى أَتَتنا الكُؤوسُ عَجلى

No sooner had we set foot in Zayd’s courtyard

No sooner had we trod upon Zayd's garden

than the cups came hurrying to us.

Than swiftly came the cups our way

وَقالَ تَختارُ صَوتَ نايٍ

وَقالَ تَختارُ صَوتَ نايٍ

فَقُلتُ أَختارُ صَوتَ مَقلى

فَقُلتُ أَختارُ صَوتَ مَقلى

And he said, “Do you choose the sound of a reed flute?”

And he said, choose the sound of a flute

So I said, “I choose the sound of a frying pan.”

I said, the sound of a ladle I'd rather play