لَمdid not يَطيقواthey could bear أَنto يَسمَعواthey listen وَسَمِعناand we listened
لَم يَطيقوا أَن يَسمَعوا وَسَمِعنا
وَصَبَرناand we were patient عَلىwith رَحىmillstone الأَسنانِthe teeth
وَصَبَرنا عَلى رَحى الأَسنانِ
They could not bear to listen, yet we listened,
They could not bear to hear, yet we heard,
and we endured the mill of teeth.
And we endured the grinding of the teeth.
صَوتُthe sound مَضغِchewing الطَعامِthe food أَحسَنُbetter عِنديto me
صَوتُ مَضغِ الطَعامِ أَحسَنُ عِندي
مِنthan غِناءِthe singing القِيانِthe singing slave-girls بِالعيدانِwith the lutes
مِن غِناءِ القِيانِ بِالعيدانِ
The sound of chewing food is more pleasing to me
The sound of chewing food is sweeter to me
than the singing of slave-girls to lutes.
Than the singing of lutes at the festival.