ياO سَعدَbliss of كُلِّevery فُؤادٍheart فيin بُيوتِكُمُyour homes
يا سَعدَ كُلِّ فُؤادٍ في بُيوتِكُمُ
مِثليlike me تَحَكَّمَheld sway فيهِover it الظَلمُthe teeth’s gleam وَالشَنَبُand their cool sweetness
مِثلي تَحَكَّمَ فيهِ الظَلمُ وَالشَنَبُ
O bliss of every heart within your homes,
ruled, like mine, by the gleam and cool sweetness of teeth!
إِنّيindeed I لَأَكرِمُsurely honor نَفسيmyself أَنthat يُقالَit be said جَنىdid harm
إِنّي لَأَكرِمُ نَفسي أَن يُقالَ جَنى
عَلىto الفَتىthe youth العَرَبيِّArab الخُرَّدُthe bashful maidens العُرُبُthe amorous ones
عَلى الفَتى العَرَبيِّ الخُرَّدُ العُرُبُ
I honor myself too much to have it said: “Harm was done
to the Arab youth by bashful, amorous maidens.”
إِنّيindeed I عَلىdespite شَغَفيmy passion بِالحُبِّfor love مُعتَذِرٌseeking to be excused
إِنّي عَلى شَغَفي بِالحُبِّ مُعتَذِرٌ
مِنfrom أَنthat يُقالَit be said شُجاعٌa brave man فَلَّهُhas broken him الوَصَبُsickness
مِن أَن يُقالَ شُجاعٌ فَلَّهُ الوَصَبُ
For all my passion for love, I seek to be spared
the words: “A brave man whom sickness has broken.”
إِنّاindeed we مَعاشِرُfolk لاnot تَبلىwear out مَطارِفُناour fine cloaks
إِنّا مَعاشِرُ لا تَبلى مَطارِفُنا
إِلّاexcept وَهُنَّwhile they are لِطُلّابِfor seekers of النَدىgenerosity سَلَبُspoils
إِلّا وَهُنَّ لِطُلّابِ النَدى سَلَبُ
We are folk whose fine cloaks never wear out
save as spoils for seekers of generosity.
مُوَقَّرونَdignified وَأَيديwhile the hands of الحِلمِforbearance طائِشَةٌflailing
مُوَقَّرونَ وَأَيدي الحِلمِ طائِشَةٌ
وَالجِدُّand earnestness يُنقِصُdiminishes مِنfrom أَطرافِهِits edges اللَعِبُplay
وَالجِدُّ يُنقِصُ مِن أَطرافِهِ اللَعِبُ
We remain dignified while the hands of forbearance flail,
and play erodes the edges of earnestness.
فَالآنَso now تَغصِبُناrobs us of الدُنياthe world غَضارَتَهاits abundance
فَالآنَ تَغصِبُنا الدُنيا غَضارَتَها
ظُلماًunjustly وَتَأخُذُand takes away مِنfrom أَيّامِناour days النُوَبُcalamities
ظُلماً وَتَأخُذُ مِن أَيّامِنا النُوَبُ
So now the world robs us of its abundance,
unjustly, and calamities steal from our days.