الآنَ أَيقَنتُ أَنَّ الرِزقَ أَقسامُ

الآنَ أَيقَنتُ أَنَّ الرِزقَ أَقسامُ

لَمّا تَقَلَّدَ أَمرَ البُردِ حَجّامُ

لَمّا تَقَلَّدَ أَمرَ البُردِ حَجّامُ

Now I am certain that sustenance is allotted in shares,

Now I'm certain that livelihood has portions

When a cupper took charge of the postal service.

When the cold took charge, the cupping surgeon

صانَ القِواريرَ خَوفَ العَزلِ في سَفَطٍ

صانَ القِواريرَ خَوفَ العَزلِ في سَفَطٍ

فيهِ مَشارِطُ لا تُحصى وَأَجلامُ

فيهِ مَشارِطُ لا تُحصى وَأَجلامُ

He kept the glass vessels safe in a box, fearing dismissal,

Stored his jars, fearing unemployment, in a satchel

In it were countless lancets and shears.

Inside it his tools, countless and diverse

حَتّى إِذا خَفَّ بِالجُلّاسِ مَجلِسُهُ

حَتّى إِذا خَفَّ بِالجُلّاسِ مَجلِسُهُ

وَدارَ فيهِ لَهُم نَقضٌ وَإِبرامُ

وَدارَ فيهِ لَهُم نَقضٌ وَإِبرامُ

Until, when his gathering thinned of guests,

Until, when his council thinned with remaining seated

And talk of revoking and confirming went round among them there,

And construction and destruction cycled for them

نادى بِسَوسَنَ أَن هاتِ الأَداةَ فَما

نادى بِسَوسَنَ أَن هاتِ الأَداةَ فَما

قَلَّبتُها لِاِتِّصالِ الشُغلِ مُذ عامُ

قَلَّبتُها لِاِتِّصالِ الشُغلِ مُذ عامُ

He called for Sawsan: “Bring the tools, for I have not

He called to Susin, "Bring the instrument," though

Handled them for a year, with work unceasing.”

I hadn't handled it for constant work this year

فَجاءَهُ بِتَقاريضٍ وَمَرهَفَةٍ

فَجاءَهُ بِتَقاريضٍ وَمَرهَفَةٍ

مِنَ المَواسي لَها في الحَلقِ إِحكامُ

مِنَ المَواسي لَها في الحَلقِ إِحكامُ

So he brought him shears and a keen-edged blade,

So he came to him with blades and a scraper

A razor with a sure mastery of shaving,

Of the healing irons, adept at the throat

مَصونَةٍ في مَناديلٍ مُطَيَّرَةٍ

مَصونَةٍ في مَناديلٍ مُطَيَّرَةٍ

قَد زانَها حُسنُ تَطريزٍ وَأَعلامُ

قَد زانَها حُسنُ تَطريزٍ وَأَعلامُ

Kept safe in napkins patterned with birds,

Protected in scented handkerchiefs

Which fine embroidery and ornamental bands had adorned.

Adorned with fine embroidery and symbols

فَعِندَ ذَلِكَ تُلفيهِ أَخا جَدَلٍ

فَعِندَ ذَلِكَ تُلفيهِ أَخا جَدَلٍ

جَمٍّ يَطوفُ عَلَيها الكَأسُ وَالجامُ

جَمٍّ يَطوفُ عَلَيها الكَأسُ وَالجامُ

Then you find him given to argument,

Then at that he wraps a talkative, zealous brother

In abundance, as cup and goblet pass round over them.

Whose cup and goblet go around among a group

وَيَكلَفُ الوَجهُ مِنهُ حينَ يَفقِدُها

وَيَكلَفُ الوَجهُ مِنهُ حينَ يَفقِدُها

كَأَنّهُ لِاِربِدادِ الوَجهِ فَحّامُ

كَأَنّهُ لِاِربِدادِ الوَجهِ فَحّامُ

And his face grows blotched when he is without them,

And the face tasks him when it misses them

As if, with his face darkened, he were a charcoal seller.

As if cooling the face were his occupation

كَأَقطَعِ الكَفِّ هادٍ عِندَ رُؤيَتِها

كَأَقطَعِ الكَفِّ هادٍ عِندَ رُؤيَتِها

فَإِن نَأَت هاجَهُ ضُرٌّ وَأَسقامُ

فَإِن نَأَت هاجَهُ ضُرٌّ وَأَسقامُ

Like a man with a severed hand, he is calm at the sight of them;

Like the palm were severed on sight of them

But if they are far away, pain and illnesses assail him.

For if sorrow or illness befell him, it would grieve

لَو أَنَّ أَرضاً بَكَت شَجواً لِحادِثَةٍ

لَو أَنَّ أَرضاً بَكَت شَجواً لِحادِثَةٍ

حَلَّت إِذاً لَبَكَت مِن أَجلِهِ الشامُ

حَلَّت إِذاً لَبَكَت مِن أَجلِهِ الشامُ

If any land wept in grief for a calamity

If a land wept for an incident in lament

That befell it, then al-Sham would surely weep because of him.

Then the Levant would weep for his sake