ليلة الأمس قد ذهبت وما تذ

ليلة الأمس قد ذهبت وما تذ

هب رؤيا أقصها شر رؤيا

هب رؤيا أقصها شر رؤيا

Last night has passed, but not

Last night has passed, taking with it

the dream I recount—the worst of dreams.

The worst of dreams, thankfully gone.

ذاك أنى حلمت بالمتنبي

ذاك أنى حلمت بالمتنبي

صار في مصر قاضيا أهليا

صار في مصر قاضيا أهليا

For I dreamed of al-Mutanabbi,

I dreamed of al-Mutanabbi

who became a judge in Egypt's native courts.

Becoming a judge in Egypt's halls.

خيروه فقال طنطا أحب المد

خيروه فقال طنطا أحب المد

ن في هذه البلاد إليا

ن في هذه البلاد إليا

They gave him a choice; he said, 'Tanta is the dearest of cities

They asked him to move to Tanta,

in this land to me.'

A city he loved more than all.

فوجدت الصواب في الرأى أنى

فوجدت الصواب في الرأى أنى

أهجر الشعر والقوافي مليا

أهجر الشعر والقوافي مليا

So I thought the wisest course was that I

I knew the right thing was to

abandon poetry and rhymes for a long while.

Forsake verse and rhymes, once and for all.

هو قد بدَّ قائل الشعر ميتا

هو قد بدَّ قائل الشعر ميتا

كيف يلقاه قائل الشعر حيا

كيف يلقاه قائل الشعر حيا

Even dead, he has outdone the poet;

For the poet is now dead,

how could a poet face him alive?

How can another poet face him at all?

وتأملت في مصيبة حفني

وتأملت في مصيبة حفني

يوم للحكم يجلسان سويا

يوم للحكم يجلسان سويا

And I pondered Hafni's misfortune,

I recalled al-Hutay'a's fate,

the day the two would sit together in judgment.

When together they sat to judge and appall.

هو عادي كرسيَّ كافور عمرا

هو عادي كرسيَّ كافور عمرا

هل يصافى لناصف كرسيا

هل يصافى لناصف كرسيا

He opposed Kafur's throne for a lifetime;

He took Ka'ab's seat vainly,

would he make peace with Nasif's chair?

Would an equal take his seat at all?

جاءني صاحبي يقول بلاء

جاءني صاحبي يقول بلاء

كنت والله عن بلاء غنيا

كنت والله عن بلاء غنيا

My friend came to me, saying, 'A calamity!

My friend said: Calamity!

By God, I had no need of calamity.'

You were far from calamity's call!

قلت نرجو من ناظر العدل يُص

قلت نرجو من ناظر العدل يُص

يه بأسيوط مبعدا منفيا

يه بأسيوط مبعدا منفيا

I said, 'We hope the Minister of Justice will banish

I said: From the overseeing judge, may he

him to Asyut, removed and exiled.

Be banished, exiled far from all.

إن فيها لشاعرا لك حرا

إن فيها لشاعرا لك حرا

وأراه بالذَّود عنك حرِيا

وأراه بالذَّود عنك حرِيا

There is indeed a noble poet there for you,

For in it there is a poet who'll

and I deem him fit to defend you.

Be keen to defend himself from your squall.

مُره يمسخ له ولو شطر بيت

مُره يمسخ له ولو شطر بيت

قال أخشى انقلاب ذاك عليا

قال أخشى انقلاب ذاك عليا

Order him to mangle even half a verse of his.'

Order him partially transformed,

He said, 'I fear that would turn against me.'

Even if just half a verse, that is all.

أصبح الصبح زيد صدقي وقالوا

أصبح الصبح زيد صدقي وقالوا

ناصف عاد قاضيا جزئيا

ناصف عاد قاضيا جزئيا

Dawn broke; my words gained credence, and they said:

Dawn came; Ziyad spoke true, and they said:

'Nasif has returned as a district judge.'

Nasif returned a judge, after all.