في عالَمِ الرُؤيا رَأَيتُ رِكابَكُم

في عالَمِ الرُؤيا رَأَيتُ رِكابَكُم

قَد حَلَّ قَريَتَنا بِهَذي الجُمعَةِ

قَد حَلَّ قَريَتَنا بِهَذي الجُمعَةِ

In the realm of dreams, I saw your caravan

In the world of dreams I saw your riding camels

had arrived in our village this Friday.

Entering our village this Friday

وَرَأَيتُمُ البِركَ الوَبيلَةَ لَم تَزَل

وَرَأَيتُمُ البِركَ الوَبيلَةَ لَم تَزَل

في حالِها الشاني لِشانِ الصِحَّةِ

في حالِها الشاني لِشانِ الصِحَّةِ

And you saw the noxious pools still

And you saw the abundant pools that still

in their state, disgracing the cause of health.

Maintain their glory for the glory of health

فَطَلَبتُم أَربابَها وَأَمَرتُم

فَطَلَبتُم أَربابَها وَأَمَرتُم

حالاً بِرَميِهِم بِأَعماقِ بِركَةِ

حالاً بِرَميِهِم بِأَعماقِ بِركَةِ

So you summoned their owners and ordered

So you sought the owners and ordered

them thrown at once into the depths of a pool.

Them thrown at once into the depths of the pools

وَكَذا المَشايِخُ فَوقَهُم وَيَسوقُهُم

وَكَذا المَشايِخُ فَوقَهُم وَيَسوقُهُم

جاويشَكَ إسماعيلُ ثُمَّ بِزَخمَةِ

جاويشَكَ إسماعيلُ ثُمَّ بِزَخمَةِ

And the sheikhs likewise, atop them, were driven

And the elders over them, led by

by your sergeant Ismail, then pushed with force.

Ismail and then Bazmakh

فَتَجَمَّعَت أَهلُ البِلاجِ بِفَوسِهِم

فَتَجَمَّعَت أَهلُ البِلاجِ بِفَوسِهِم

وَبِكُلِّ مِحراثٌ يُزيلُ لِكُدوَةِ

وَبِكُلِّ مِحراثٌ يُزيلُ لِكُدوَةِ

Then the beach folk gathered with their mattocks,

So the marsh people gathered with their swords

and each had a plow to clear away a mound.

And with each a plow to remove the bumps

وَبِنَلتِهِم مِن خَلفِهِم وَبَنوهُم

وَبِنَلتِهِم مِن خَلفِهِم وَبَنوهُم

هَذي بِزَنبيلَ وَذاكَ بِقَفَةِ

هَذي بِزَنبيلَ وَذاكَ بِقَفَةِ

And their daughters behind them, and their sons,

And their palm leaves behind them, and their sons

this one with a woven basket, and that one with a palm-leaf basket.

This one with a basket, that with a pot

حَتّى الوَكيلُ وَقَد أَتى يَحَبُكُم

حَتّى الوَكيلُ وَقَد أَتى يَحَبُكُم

ما أَنفُكَ يَبذُلَ هِمَّةً في هِمَّةِ

ما أَنفُكَ يَبذُلَ هِمَّةً في هِمَّةِ

Even the deputy, who had come, loving you,

Even the agent came wanting to please you

never ceased to exert effort upon effort.

Never ceasing to make effort upon effort

اَمّا حِكِمدارِ الجُنودِ فَلَم أَكُن

اَمّا حِكِمدارِ الجُنودِ فَلَم أَكُن

مُتَذَكِّراً لِحُضورَةِ بِالحَفلَةِ

مُتَذَكِّراً لِحُضورَةِ بِالحَفلَةِ

As for the commander of the troops, I did not

As for the judge of the armies, I cannot recall

remember his presence at the gathering.

His presence at the gathering

وَهُنالِكَ المَأمورُ يَضرِبُ أَخمَساً

وَهُنالِكَ المَأمورُ يَضرِبُ أَخمَساً

في أَسدَسِ وَيَزوغُ وَسطَ الزَحمَةِ

في أَسدَسِ وَيَزوغُ وَسطَ الزَحمَةِ

And there the district officer was multiplying fives

And there the officer beats a fifth

by sixes, dodging amid the crowd.

In a sixth, and wanders amid the crowd

وَلَهُ أَقولُ لَو اِهتَمَمتَ وَما كَسَل

وَلَهُ أَقولُ لَو اِهتَمَمتَ وَما كَسَل

تَ لَكُنتَ تَكفي شَرُّ هَذي الجَرسَةِ

تَ لَكُنتَ تَكفي شَرُّ هَذي الجَرسَةِ

And to him I say: had you cared and not been lazy,

And I say to him, had you taken care and not tired

you would have warded off the harm of this disgrace.

You could have prevented the evil of these bells

ثُمَّ اِتَّجَهتُم نَحوَنا وَأَقَمتُم

ثُمَّ اِتَّجَهتُم نَحوَنا وَأَقَمتُم

تِلكَ اللَيلَةِ في هَنا وَمَسَّرَّةِ

تِلكَ اللَيلَةِ في هَنا وَمَسَّرَّةِ

Then you turned toward us and stayed

Then you turned towards us and stayed

that night in bliss and joy.

That night here in happiness

وَأَنا وَقَد كادَ العَيا يَغتالُني

وَأَنا وَقَد كادَ العَيا يَغتالُني

أَصبَحتُ مَغبوطاً بِأَعظَمِ صِحَّةٍ

أَصبَحتُ مَغبوطاً بِأَعظَمِ صِحَّةٍ

And I, whom exhaustion had nearly slain,

And I, when sleep had nearly overtaken me

became envied for the very best of health.

Awoke feeling most healthy

فَلَعَلَّني خَيراً رَأضيتُ وَلَم يَكُن

فَلَعَلَّني خَيراً رَأضيتُ وَلَم يَكُن

هَذا المَنامُ كَما أُري في اليَقظَةِ

هَذا المَنامُ كَما أُري في اليَقظَةِ

So perhaps I saw good; nor was

Perhaps I was pleased in a dream, and it was not

this dream like what I see in waking life.

Like what I saw in wakefulness