غَرَّدَ الديكُ الصَدوحُ

غَرَّدَ الديكُ الصَدوحُ

فَاِسقِني طابَ الصَبوحُ

فَاِسقِني طابَ الصَبوحُ

The loud-voiced rooster crowed.

The cock crowed melodiously

The warbling rooster has begun to crow,

So pour for me; the morning draught is sweet.

So serve me the sweet dawn’s drink

So pour the drink, for the morning draught is sweet.

وَاِسقِني حَتّى تَراني

وَاِسقِني حَتّى تَراني

حَسَناً عِندي القَبيحُ

حَسَناً عِندي القَبيحُ

And pour for me until you see me

And serve me till you see me

And keep on pouring until you see that I

with the ugly beautiful in my eyes.

Good, though bad I think

Deem the ugly to be beautiful to meet.

قَهوَةً تَذكُرُ نوحاً

قَهوَةً تَذكُرُ نوحاً

حينَ شادَ الفُلكَ نوحُ

حينَ شادَ الفُلكَ نوحُ

A wine that remembers Noah,

Coffee that reminds of Noah

A vintage wine that remembers the days of Noah,

when Noah built the Ark.

When Noah built the ark

From the time when Noah raised the Ark on high.

نَحنُ نُخفيها وَيَأبى

نَحنُ نُخفيها وَيَأبى

طيبُ ريحٍ فَتَفوحُ

طيبُ ريحٍ فَتَفوحُ

We hide it, yet concealment is defied

We hide its scent, but it refuses

We try to hide it, yet it refuses to be hid,

by its sweet scent, which wafts abroad.

As its perfume spreads wide

Its fragrant aroma wafts and fills the sky.

فَكَأَنَّ القَومَ نُهبى

فَكَأَنَّ القَومَ نُهبى

بَينَهُم مِسكٌ ذَبيحُ

بَينَهُم مِسكٌ ذَبيحُ

So the company seem a band of plunderers,

It's as if the people were robbed

It is as if the gathering shares a spoil

with slaughtered musk among them.

Among them musk is slaughtered

Of pierced musk-pods scattered in their midst.

أَنا في دُنيا مِنَ العَب

أَنا في دُنيا مِنَ العَب

باسِ أَغدو وَأَروحُ

باسِ أَغدو وَأَروحُ

I live in a world bestowed by al-ʿAbbās,

I in a world of playthings live

I dwell within a world of al-Abbas,

going forth morning and evening.

Rising at dawn, resting at eve

Coming and going, by his grace exist.

هاشِمِيٌّ عَبدَلِيٌّ

هاشِمِيٌّ عَبدَلِيٌّ

عِندَهُ يَغلو المَديحُ

عِندَهُ يَغلو المَديحُ

A Hāshimite, an ʿAbdalī,

A Hashemite, an Abdalite am I

A Hashemite, of noble 'Abdali line,

with whom praise commands a high price.

For whom praise is not enough

In whose presence praise grows high in value.

عَلَمُ الجودِ كِتابٌ

عَلَمُ الجودِ كِتابٌ

بَينَ عَينَيهِ يَلوحُ

بَينَ عَينَيهِ يَلوحُ

Generosity's emblem is an inscription

The book of generosity is a sign

The mark of generosity is a clear decree

gleaming between his eyes.

Before his eyes glowing

That shines radiant between his eyes to view.

كُلُّ جودٍ يا أَميري

كُلُّ جودٍ يا أَميري

ما خَلا جودَكَ ريحُ

ما خَلا جودَكَ ريحُ

All generosity, O my prince,

All generosity, my prince

All generosity, O my noble Prince,

apart from yours, is wind.

Except yours is but wind

Save yours, is merely wind that passes by.

إِنَّما أَنتَ عَطايا

إِنَّما أَنتَ عَطايا

أَبَداً لا تَستَريحُ

أَبَداً لا تَستَريحُ

You are nothing but gifts,

You are only ever gifts

For you are nothing but eternal gifts,

forever without rest.

That never take rest

That never rest, nor cease as time does fly.

بُحَّ صَوتُ المالِ مِمّا

بُحَّ صَوتُ المالِ مِمّا

مِنكَ يَشكو وَيَصيحُ

مِنكَ يَشكو وَيَصيحُ

Wealth's voice has grown hoarse from

The voice of wealth complains of

The voice of Wealth has grown hoarse with strain,

complaining of you and crying out.

What you take and beg

Complaining of you, crying out in protest:

ما لِهَذا آخِذٌ فَو

ما لِهَذا آخِذٌ فَو

قَ يَدَيهِ أَو نَصيحُ

قَ يَدَيهِ أَو نَصيحُ

This man has no one to restrain

None can stop your hands

"Is there no one to restrain his open hands,"

his hands, nor any counselor.

Or advise and dissuade

"Or offer him counsel to put this to rest?"

جُدتَ بِالأَموالِ حَتّى

جُدتَ بِالأَموالِ حَتّى

قيلَ ما هَذا صَحيحُ

قيلَ ما هَذا صَحيحُ

You gave wealth generously, until

So generous you are with wealth

You lavished wealth until the people said:

it was said, 'This man is not sane.'

It is said, can this be true?

"Surely, this man is not of sound mind!"

صُوِّرَ الجودُ مِثالاً

صُوِّرَ الجودُ مِثالاً

فَلَهُ العَبّاسُ روحُ

فَلَهُ العَبّاسُ روحُ

Generosity was fashioned into a figure,

Generosity is pictured

If Generosity were fashioned into a form,

so al-ʿAbbās is its soul.

Abbas is its soul

Al-Abbas would be the soul therein confined.

فَهوَ بِالمالِ جَوادٌ

فَهوَ بِالمالِ جَوادٌ

وَهوَ بِالعِرضِ شَحيحُ

وَهوَ بِالعِرضِ شَحيحُ

So he is generous with wealth,

Generous he is with wealth

He is a spendthrift with his flowing gold,

yet miserly with his honor.

Stingy he is with honor

But a miser when his honor is defined.