لم يبق لابن دخان عند خالقه

لم يبق لابن دخان عند خالقه

أمنية يتمناها ويأملها

أمنية يتمناها ويأملها

Nothing remains for Ibn Dukhan with his Creator—

Ibn Dukhan's son has no wish left with his Creator

no wish he desires and hopes for.

That he hopes for and aspires to.

لأن حوصلة الملعون لو فتحت

لأن حوصلة الملعون لو فتحت

لأغنت الناس في مصر حواصلها

لأغنت الناس في مصر حواصلها

For if the accursed man's crop were opened,

For if the damned one's patience opened up

its contents would enrich the people in Egypt.

It would make Egypt's people rich with their patience.

وإنما فاته والله يلعنه

وإنما فاته والله يلعنه

أن الأزبة لم تعظم فياشلها

أن الأزبة لم تعظم فياشلها

And his only disappointment—may God curse him—

What he missed, may Allah curse him,

was that the cocks' heads had not grown larger.

Is that fortunes didn't grow through his efforts.

وسوف تنتبه الأيام من سنة

وسوف تنتبه الأيام من سنة

حتى يسمى أبا النقصان غافلها

حتى يسمى أبا النقصان غافلها

And the days will awaken from slumber,

The days will awaken after a year

until the man heedless of them is called Abu al-Nuqsan, 'Father of Deficiency.'

Until he is called the father of loss in his heedlessness.

فاشرب عليها وكل يابن الخبيث فما

فاشرب عليها وكل يابن الخبيث فما

يخطيك عاجل أقوالي وآجلها

يخطيك عاجل أقوالي وآجلها

So drink to that and eat, son of the scoundrel, for neither

So drink over it and eat, oh son of the wicked one, for nothing

my present words nor my future ones will miss you.

Will spare you soon from my words, early or late.

واعلم بأن قوافي الشعر ما غضبت

واعلم بأن قوافي الشعر ما غضبت

إلا وسود وجه الحق باطلها

إلا وسود وجه الحق باطلها

And know that the rhymes of poetry never grow angry

And know that the rhymes of poetry did not anger

without their falsehood blackening the face of truth.

Except the face of truth was blackened by its falsehood.

هذي مقدمة يأتي أواخرها

هذي مقدمة يأتي أواخرها

بما كرهت كما جاءت أوائلها

بما كرهت كما جاءت أوائلها

This is a prelude; its final parts will bring

This is the introduction, the ending will come

what you detest, just as its opening parts did.

With what you hated just as the beginning came.