كانُونُthe brazier مَطبخِناof our kitchen فيduring العِيدEid كانُونُKānūn (a winter month)
كانُونُ مَطبخِنا في العِيد كانُونُ
والهِرُّand the cat فِيهِin it علىdespite ماwhat فِيهis in him مَأْمُونُtrusted
والهِرُّ فِيهِ على ما فِيه مَأْمُونُ
Our kitchen’s brazier at Eid is cold as Kānūn.
Our oven was the cauldron on feast days
The cat there, despite his ways, can be trusted.
With warmth assuredly in it, and safety from harm.
فَماso not شَكاlamented زَفْرةًa sigh كالعَاشِقينَlike lovers ولاnor
فَما شَكا زَفْرةً كالعَاشِقينَ ولا
تخضبَّتْwas stained بِنَجِيعٍwith gore فِيهِin it سِكِّينُa knife
تخضبَّتْ بِنَجِيعٍ فِيهِ سِكِّينُ
So it has uttered no sigh like lovers, nor
It breathed no sighs like ardent lovers,
has a knife there been stained with gore.
Nor did blades in it grow red with blood.
وَلاnor هَدَتْguided نَارُهُits fire السَّارِيthe night traveler ولاnor رُفِعَتْwas raised
وَلا هَدَتْ نَارُهُ السَّارِي ولا رُفِعَتْ
قِدْرٌa cooking pot وَلاnor نُصِبَتْwere set out فيهِin it مَواعِينُutensils
قِدْرٌ وَلا نُصِبَتْ فيهِ مَواعِينُ
Nor has its fire guided the night traveler, nor has
Its flame did not flare up or pots Lifted or water jugs set in place,
a pot been raised, nor have utensils been set out there.
Nor did the mighty one afflict us there,
ولاnor أَلَمَّvisited بِناus الجرَّارُthe jar-maker فيهِin it وَلاnor
ولا أَلَمَّ بِنا الجرَّارُ فيهِ وَلا
دِينُthe creed البَراهِمةِof the Brahmins الواهيfeeble لناfor us دِينُa creed
دِينُ البَراهِمةِ الواهي لنا دِينُ
Nor has the jar-maker visited us there, nor
Nor the fading faith of the Brahmins our faith.
is the Brahmins’ feeble creed our creed.
Partial English translation: 7 of 8 Arabic lines translated.