وَقِدْرُ طَبيخي لأَجْلِ العِيالِ

وَقِدْرُ طَبيخي لأَجْلِ العِيالِ

يَخافُ على السُّفْنِ فيها الغَرَقْ

يَخافُ على السُّفْنِ فيها الغَرَقْ

And my pot of stew, for feeding the family—

My cooking pot for my family

one fears that ships might sink in it.

Fears the ships will sink in it

وَإنْ زادَ طَارٍ يُزَدْ كَوز زيرٍ

وَإنْ زادَ طَارٍ يُزَدْ كَوز زيرٍ

فَليسَ بِضَائرِنا مَن طَرَقْ

فَليسَ بِضَائرِنا مَن طَرَقْ

And if an extra guest arrives, a jugful from the water jar is added;

And if an extra guest arrives, add a jug of sauce

so whoever knocks does us no harm.

It is no loss to us, whoever knocks

وَكَمْ مَرَّةٍ ضَجَّ مِنّي الطَّبِيخُ

وَكَمْ مَرَّةٍ ضَجَّ مِنّي الطَّبِيخُ

بِتلكَ الزِّيادَةِ حَتَّى مَرَقْ

بِتلكَ الزِّيادَةِ حَتَّى مَرَقْ

And how often the stew cried out against me

And how often my cooking pot complained about me

at that extra water, until it ran off as broth.

With that extra addition until it boiled over

وَخِفْتُ لِغَرْقي من النِّيلِ أَنْ

وَخِفْتُ لِغَرْقي من النِّيلِ أَنْ

يُقالَ بِنارِ السِّراجِ احتَرَقْ

يُقالَ بِنارِ السِّراجِ احتَرَقْ

And I feared, should I drown in the Nile, that

And I feared drowning in the Nile that

it would be said: “He burned in al-Siraj’s fire.”

It would be said the lamp's fire burned him