ياoh لَيتَنيif only I كُنتُI was أَغبىthe stupidest الناسِpeople كُلُّهُمall of them
يا لَيتَني كُنتُ أَغبى الناسِ كُلُّهُم
وَكُنتُand I was باقلَBaqil فيin حاليmy manner وَأَقواليand my words
وَكُنتُ باقلَ في حالي وَأَقوالي
If only I were the most foolish of all people,
Oh, if only I were the stupidest of all people,
and were like ʿĀqil in my bearing and my words;
And were Baqil in my ways and my words,
وَإِنَّand indeed خاليmy maternal uncle فَهميFahmi أَوor حُسَينَHussein أَخيmy brother
وَإِنَّ خالي فَهمي أَو حُسَينَ أَخي
وَإِنand if عَمىmy paternal uncle فُؤاداًFuad أَوor أَبىmy father غاليGhali
وَإِن عَمى فُؤاداً أَو أَبى غالي
while Fahmi is indeed my maternal uncle—or Husayn my brother—
And Fahmi were my maternal uncle, or Hussein my brother,
and Fuʾad my paternal uncle—or Ghali my father;
And Fuad my paternal uncle, or Ghali my father;
وَلَمand not أَكُنI was أَناI فِيَّwithin me عِلميmy learning وَفيand in أَدَبيmy literary skill
وَلَم أَكُن أَنا فِيَّ عِلمي وَفي أَدَبي
مَنamong أَحسَنَthe best الناسِpeople فيin ماضٍthe past وَفيand in حالِthe present
مَن أَحسَنَ الناسِ في ماضٍ وَفي حالِ
and I, in my learning and my letters, were not
And I were not, in my learning and my literary skill,
among the finest of people, in times past and present;
Among the best of people, in past or present;
وَلاnor شَمَخَتI rose proudly بِأَنفيwith my nose فيin المَلاthe assembly عِظماًout of pride
وَلا شَمَخَت بِأَنفي في المَلا عِظماً
وَلَمand not أَكُنI was فيin زَمانيmy time شاعِرَpoet الواليthe governor
وَلَم أَكُن في زَماني شاعِرَ الوالي
nor held my nose high amid the gathering, out of pride,
Nor had I held my nose high before the assembly out of pride,
nor were, in my own time, the governor’s poet.
And were not, in my time, the governor's poet.
