أَيا سَيِّدا نالَ أعلى الرُّتَبْ

أَيا سَيِّدا نالَ أعلى الرُّتَبْ

وحاز الكمالَ بأَوْفَى سَبَبْ

وحاز الكمالَ بأَوْفَى سَبَبْ

O master who has attained the highest ranks,

O master who has attained the highest ranks

And won perfection by the surest means,

And achieved perfection in the best way

أَمالكَ في الراىِ رأىٌ فإنَّ

أَمالكَ في الراىِ رأىٌ فإنَّ

له صفةً أَوْجَبتْ أن يُحَبّْ

له صفةً أَوْجَبتْ أن يُحَبّْ

Have you no opinion of the rāy fish? For

Your opinion on this matter is sound, so

It has a quality that demands it be loved.

It has a quality that necessitates that it be loved

تَربَّى مع النيلِ حتى رَبا

تَربَّى مع النيلِ حتى رَبا

وصار من الشَّحْم ضخما خِدَبّْ

وصار من الشَّحْم ضخما خِدَبّْ

It was reared with the Nile until it grew large,

It was raised with the Nile until it grew

And became huge and bulky with fat.

And became enormously fat

ولا حِسَّ للعظمِ في جسمِه

ولا حِسَّ للعظمِ في جسمِه

فليس على الضِّرْس منه تَعَب

فليس على الضِّرْس منه تَعَب

And no bone can be felt in its body,

It feels no hardness in its body

So it puts no strain on the molar.

So its teeth do not suffer wear

يذوب كما ذاب شحمُ الكُلَى

يذوب كما ذاب شحمُ الكُلَى

إذا الْجَمْرُ قارَبَه أو قَرُب

إذا الْجَمْرُ قارَبَه أو قَرُب

It melts just as kidney fat melts,

It melts like the kidney fat

When embers approach it, or it comes near them.

When embers come near or draw close

يَروقك نيئاً وفي قَلْيِه

يَروقك نيئاً وفي قَلْيِه

فتُبصِرُ من حالتَيْه العَجَبْ

فتُبصِرُ من حالتَيْه العَجَبْ

It pleases you raw, and when fried,

You will enjoy it uncooked, and when cooked

So in its two states you behold a marvel.

You will behold its two states with wonder

نُصولُ السكاكينِ مصقولةٌ

نُصولُ السكاكينِ مصقولةٌ

وفي القَلْى تَمْوِيهُها بالذهب

وفي القَلْى تَمْوِيهُها بالذهب

Polished knife-blades they are,

The blades of knives are polished

And in frying they are gilded with gold.

And their glimmer is hidden in the cooking

كأن اللُّجينَ الذي قد عَلا

كأن اللُّجينَ الذي قد عَلا

وذاك النُّضارَ الذي في الذَّنَب

وذاك النُّضارَ الذي في الذَّنَب

As though the silver that lies above,

It is as if the smoothness that has risen

And that pure gold upon the tail,

And that tenderness that is in the tail

لَفائفُ قطْنٍ لِطافٌ وقد

لَفائفُ قطْنٍ لِطافٌ وقد

تَبدَّى بأَطرافِهن اللَّهَب

تَبدَّى بأَطرافِهن اللَّهَب

Were delicate rolls of cotton, and

Are rolls of delicate cotton that

Flame had appeared at their tips.

Show their fringed edges aflame

فيا حُسْنَه وهْو بين الشِّباك

فيا حُسْنَه وهْو بين الشِّباك

وقد ظلَّ مشتِبكا يضطربْ

وقد ظلَّ مشتِبكا يضطربْ

And oh, how lovely it is among the nets,

Oh, its beauty as it lies between the grates

As it remains entangled, thrashing,

Remaining entangled and writhing

كزُرْقِ الأَسَّنِة بين الدروعِ

كزُرْقِ الأَسَّنِة بين الدروعِ

تَميل بهنّ العوالى السُّلُب

تَميل بهنّ العوالى السُّلُب

Like blue spearheads among coats of mail,

Like the gleam of spearheads amid coats of mail

Swayed by tall, slender spear-shafts.

Swaying the towering knight’s arms

فبادِرْ فنحنُ بشطِّ الخليِج

فبادِرْ فنحنُ بشطِّ الخليِج

على روضةٍ رَقَّمَتْها السُّحُب

على روضةٍ رَقَّمَتْها السُّحُب

So hasten, for we are by the canal's bank,

So take the initiative, for we are on the shore of the gulf

In a meadow embroidered by the clouds,

In a meadow dotted by clouds

على حالةٍ نامَ عنها الهلالُ

على حالةٍ نامَ عنها الهلالُ

فإنْ لم تكن حاضِرا لم تَطِب

فإنْ لم تكن حاضِرا لم تَطِب

In a scene the crescent moon has slept through;

In a state where the crescent has set

For if you are not present, it will not be sweet.

For if you are not present, it will not be pleasant