فديتُكَmay I be your ransom قدalready حانَhas come وقتُthe time of الصَّبوحthe morning draught
فديتُكَ قد حانَ وقتُ الصَّبوح
ولاحَand appeared الصَّبَاحُthe dawn ولمand not تَحْضُرِyou arrived
ولاحَ الصَّبَاحُ ولم تَحْضُرِ
May I be your ransom! The time for the morning draught has come,
I would sacrifice myself for you, dawn has arrived
and dawn has appeared, yet you have not arrived.
And the morning shone though you did not attend
وجاءand came الطُّهَاةthe cooks بماwith what عندَهمْin their keeping
وجاء الطُّهَاة بما عندَهمْ
وحَثَّand urged السُقاةُthe cupbearers علىtoward المُسْكرِthe intoxicating drink
وحَثَّ السُقاةُ على المُسْكرِ
And the cooks have come with what they have,
The cupbearers came with what they had
and the cupbearers urge us to take the intoxicating draught.
And the water-carriers hastened to intoxication
ومُدَّand was spread القُباطِيُّthe fine Egyptian linen فوقَupon الخِواthe table (continued)
ومُدَّ القُباطِيُّ فوقَ الخِوا
نcompletes 'table' يلمعُgleams كالقمرlike the moon المُزْهِرِradiant
ن يلمعُ كالقمر المُزْهِرِ
And fine Egyptian linen is spread upon the table,
The Copt stretched the tents over the meadows
gleaming like the radiant moon.
Gleaming like the blossoming moon
وحانand the time came الصلاةُthe prayer علىover ابنِson of الشهيدthe martyr
وحان الصلاةُ على ابنِ الشهيد
فحيَّso hasten علىto دفنِهhis burial تؤجَرِyou will be rewarded
فحيَّ على دفنِه تؤجَرِ
And it is time for prayer over the martyr's son;
It was time for prayer for the martyr's son
so hasten to bury him and earn your reward.
So proclaim over his burial and you will be rewarded
وفوقand upon المِنَصَّةِthe dais مجلوَّةٌunveiled
وفوق المِنَصَّةِ مجلوَّةٌ
عليناbefore us عرائسُbrides منfrom كسكرِKaskar
علينا عرائسُ من كسكرِ
And upon the dais, unveiled
On the pulpit were beautiful maidens
before us, are brides from Kaskar:
Dolls from the land of Egypt
بناتُdaughters of المؤذنthe muezzin ذاكthat one الذيwho
بناتُ المؤذن ذاك الذي
يؤذّنcalls to prayer والصبحُwhile dawn لمhas not يُسفِرِgrown light
يؤذّن والصبحُ لم يُسفِرِ
daughters of the muezzin, that one who
The daughters of that muezzin
calls to prayer before dawn has grown light.
Who calls to prayer before dawn has broken
سُبينَthey were captured وعُرِّينَand stripped bare منfrom بعدafter ماthat
سُبينَ وعُرِّينَ من بعد ما
ذُبحنَthey were slaughtered فياso, oh! لكَfor you منwhat an منكرِoutrage
ذُبحنَ فيا لكَ من منكرِ
They were captured and stripped after
They were captured and stripped
being slaughtered—what an outrage!
After being slaughtered, what an abhorrence!
فلماso when سُلبنَthey were robbed of الثيابَthe clothes أُبتلينَthey were afflicted
فلما سُلبنَ الثيابَ أُبتلينَ
بسوداءَby a black one موحشةِfrightful المنظرِthe appearance
بسوداءَ موحشةِ المنظرِ
And when they were robbed of their clothes, they were afflicted
Clad in repulsive black robes
by a black one, dreadful to behold.
Fingers amputated, some up to the knuckles
أصابعُهاher fingers الحُجْنُhooked مسنونَةٌsharpened
أصابعُها الحُجْنُ مسنونَةٌ
نواشبُlodged منهنَّof them فيin المنحرِthe throat
نواشبُ منهنَّ في المنحرِ
Her hooked fingers are sharpened,
They visited hell equally
lodged in their throats.
Moaning amidst raging flames
فزارتْso she visited بهنwith them سواءَthe heart of الجحيمHell
فزارتْ بهن سواءَ الجحيم
ترنَّحُswaying باللّهبِamid the flame المُسْعَرِfiercely kindled
ترنَّحُ باللّهبِ المُسْعَرِ
So she took them to the heart of Hell,
One was crucified, her hand nailed
swaying amid the fiercely kindled flame.
To her cheek though she was unaware
فمصلوبةٌso, a crucified one سُمِّرتْwas nailed كفُّهاher palm
فمصلوبةٌ سُمِّرتْ كفُّها
إِلىto جِيدهاher neck وهيwhile she لمdid not تَشْعُرِnotice
إِلى جِيدها وهي لم تَشْعُرِ
And one is crucified, her hand nailed
Another disemboweled, her belly
to her neck, while she was unaware;
Containing beads of red gold
ومنقوبةُand one pierced البطنِthe belly فيinside جوفِهَاher interior
ومنقوبةُ البطنِ في جوفِهَا
كُراتٌballs منof الذهبِgold الأحمرِred
كُراتٌ من الذهبِ الأحمرِ
and one, pierced in the belly, has within her
Brought before us driven like
balls of red gold.
Rebellious crowds on judgment day
وأُخرجنَand they were brought out منهاfrom it إليناto us يُسَقْare driven (continued)
وأُخرجنَ منها إلينا يُسَقْ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) سوقَthe driving of العُصاةِthe sinners إِلىto المحشرِthe final gathering-place
نَ سوقَ العُصاةِ إِلى المحشرِ
And they were brought out of it to us, driven
Like statues of camphor
as sinners are driven to the place of final gathering.
Drenched in musk and ambergris
كأنَّas though تماثيلَstatues of كافورِهits camphor
كأنَّ تماثيلَ كافورِه
تَضمَّخُare perfumed بالمِسْكِwith musk والعنبرِand ambergris
تَضمَّخُ بالمِسْكِ والعنبرِ
As though its camphor statues
Smooth as peeled almonds
were perfumed with musk and ambergris:
And as pure as unpeeled rice
لُجَيْنٌsilver إِذاwhen قَشَرَتْهُpeel it الأكُفُّthe hands
لُجَيْنٌ إِذا قَشَرَتْهُ الأكُفُّ
وتبرٌand unwrought gold إِذاwhen هيit لمis not تُقْشَرِpeeled
وتبرٌ إِذا هي لم تُقْشَرِ
silver when hands peel it,
Our cook presented a dish
and unwrought gold when it is left unpeeled.
Topped with a lace made of sugar
وقدَّمَand served طبَّاخُنَاour cook رُزَّةًa rice dish
وقدَّمَ طبَّاخُنَا رُزَّةً
عليهاupon it لِثامٌa veil منof السُّكَّرِsugar
عليها لِثامٌ من السُّكَّرِ
And our cook served a rice dish,
The moon hid beneath the clouds
with a veil of sugar upon it.
Neither revealing itself nor concealed
بهاin it احتجبَwas veiled البدرُthe full moon تحتbeneath الغَمامthe clouds
بها احتجبَ البدرُ تحت الغَمام
فلمyet not تَتَجلَّbecome visible ولمand not تُسْتَرِbe concealed
فلم تَتَجلَّ ولم تُسْتَرِ
In it, the full moon lay veiled beneath the clouds,
You'd think the painter gave it
yet neither unveiled nor concealed.
Eyes that stare without eyelids
تَرىyou see للدِّهانِof the oils علىupon وَجْهِهَاits face
تَرى للدِّهانِ على وَجْهِهَا
عُيوناًeyes تدورُcircle بلاwithout مَحجِرِan eye socket
عُيوناً تدورُ بلا مَحجِرِ
You see upon its face the oils'
And a flock of delicate beauties
eyes circling without sockets.
Made of almonds and candied sugar
وسِرباًand a flock نواعِمَdelicate ones مخلوقةًfashioned
وسِرباً نواعِمَ مخلوقةً
منfrom اللَّوزِalmonds والسكّرِand sugar العسكريʿAskari
من اللَّوزِ والسكّرِ العسكري
And a flock of delicate creatures, fashioned
Two concubines in one waistband
from almonds and ʿAskari sugar:
By God, what that waistband contains!
قريبانِtwo close kin فيwithin مِئْزَرٍa girdle واحدٍone
قريبانِ في مِئْزَرٍ واحدٍ
فلِلهso, praise be to God ماwhat ضُمَّwas enclosed فيin مِئْزَرِa girdle
فلِله ما ضُمَّ في مِئْزَرِ
two close kin within a single girdle—
The weight of their skirts fills their pelvises
God be praised for what one girdle holds!
Without fat or padding
ثِقالُheavy المآزرِthe girdles قُبُّslender البطوthe bellies (continued)
ثِقالُ المآزرِ قُبُّ البطو
نِcompletes 'bellies' غيرُnot سِمانٍfat ولاnor ضُمَّرِlean
نِ غيرُ سِمانٍ ولا ضُمَّرِ
Heavy of girdle, slender of belly,
As if the desserts were tailored
neither fat nor lean;
With undyed robes
كأنَّas though الفواقِعَbubbles قدalready فُصِّلَتْwere tailored
كأنَّ الفواقِعَ قد فُصِّلَتْ
عليهاupon them جَلابيبُcloaks لمnot تُزْرَرِbuttoned
عليها جَلابيبُ لم تُزْرَرِ
as though bubbles had been fitted
Their tender complexions betray
with cloaks left unbuttoned.
The sweetness hidden within
تَراهاyou see them لِرقَّةِbecause of the thinness of أبشارِهَاtheir skins
تَراها لِرقَّةِ أبشارِهَا
تُخَبِّرُreveal عنabout حَشْوِهاtheir filling المُضْمَرِhidden
تُخَبِّرُ عن حَشْوِها المُضْمَرِ
You see them, through the thinness of their skins,
They drank oil until sated
revealing their hidden filling.
And drowned in its green slick
شَرِبْنَthey drank منof الدُّهْنِthe oil حتىuntil رَوِينtheir thirst was quenched
شَرِبْنَ من الدُّهْنِ حتى رَوِين
وغُرّقْنَand were drowned فيin لُجِّهits depths الأخضرِgreen
وغُرّقْنَ في لُجِّه الأخضرِ
They drank of the oil until their thirst was quenched,
As if houris were brought forth
and were drowned in its green depths.
From paradise, swimming in al-Kawthar
كأنَّas though َكواعبbudding-breasted maidens قدalready أُبرِزَتْwere brought forth
كأنَّ َكواعب قد أُبرِزَتْ
منfrom الخُلدِParadise تسبحُswimming فيin الكوْثرِal-Kawthar
من الخُلدِ تسبحُ في الكوْثرِ
As though budding-breasted maidens had been brought forth
Pages of bliss within them
from Paradise, swimming in al-Kawthar.
Refined but unopened
صحائفُsheets فيwithin طَيِّهِنَّtheir folds النَّعِيمُbliss
صحائفُ في طَيِّهِنَّ النَّعِيمُ
لطائفُdelicacies صِيْنَتْwere kept safe ولمand not تُنْشَرِunfolded
لطائفُ صِيْنَتْ ولم تُنْشَرِ
Sheets with bliss within their folds,
Their alluring sight indicates
delicacies kept safe and not unfolded.
They are sweet to taste
تَدُلُّthey indicate بمنظَرِهاby their appearance المُجْتَلَىrevealed to view
تَدُلُّ بمنظَرِها المُجْتَلَى
علىto أنَّهاthat they are حلوةُsweet المَخْبَرِinward nature
على أنَّها حلوةُ المَخْبَرِ
Their unveiled appearance reveals
Melt when lifted by palms
that they are sweet within.
Before reaching the throat
تذوبُthey melt إِذاwhen رفعتَهْاlift them الأكفthe hands (continued)
تذوبُ إِذا رفعتَهْا الأكف
فُcompletes 'hands' قبلَbefore الوصولِreaching إِلىto الحَنْجَرِthe throat
فُ قبلَ الوصولِ إِلى الحَنْجَرِ
They melt when hands lift them,
Hurry to us, I'd sacrifice my soul
before reaching the throat.
Do not hesitate or tire
فبادِرْso hasten إليناto us فدتْكَmay they ransom you النفوسthe souls
فبادِرْ إلينا فدتْكَ النفوس
ولاand do not تتوقفْdelay ولاand do not تَفْتُرِfalter
ولا تتوقفْ ولا تَفْتُرِ
So hasten to us—may souls be your ransom—
Join your elders in music, wine, and dicing
and do not delay or falter.
And do not cease or desist
وشاركْand join صنائِعَكyour protégés الأقدمِيthe longstanding ones (continued)
وشاركْ صنائِعَك الأقدمِي
نَcompletes 'longstanding ones' فيin العزفِmusic-making والخَمْرِand wine والمَيْسِرِand gambling
نَ في العزفِ والخَمْرِ والمَيْسِرِ
And join your longstanding protégés
in music, wine, and gambling.
Partial English translation: 58 of 60 Arabic lines translated.