رأيتُ في النوم عِرسي وهي مُمسكةٌ

رأيتُ في النوم عِرسي وهي مُمسكةٌ

أُذني وفي كفِّها شيءٌ من الأَدَمِ

أُذني وفي كفِّها شيءٌ من الأَدَمِ

I saw my wife in a dream, holding

In a dream I saw my teacher holding

my ear, and in her palm was something made of leather:

My ear, in her hand something made of skin,

معوّج الرأسِ مسودٌّ بهِ نُقَطٌ

معوّج الرأسِ مسودٌّ بهِ نُقَطٌ

لكنَّ أسفلَه في هيئةِ القَدَمِ

لكنَّ أسفلَه في هيئةِ القَدَمِ

Crooked at the tip, blackened, with spots upon it,

Crooked of head, blackened, dotted with spots,

but its underside was shaped like a foot.

But the bottom part shaped like a foot.

ولم يزل بيديها وهي تَنطُلني

ولم يزل بيديها وهي تَنطُلني

به وتلتذُّ بالإيقاع والنَّغَمِ

به وتلتذُّ بالإيقاع والنَّغَمِ

And it stayed in her hands as she struck me

And she kept holding me with it, enjoying

with it, delighting in the rhythm and melody,

The rhythm and melody,

حتى تنبّهتُ محمرَّ القذالِ ولو

حتى تنبّهتُ محمرَّ القذالِ ولو

طالَ المنامُ على الشيخِ الأديبِ عَمي

طالَ المنامُ على الشيخِ الأديبِ عَمي

until I awoke, the back of my head reddened; and had

Until I woke up, my face blushed with shame. If

the dream lasted longer for the old man of letters, he would have gone blind.

The dream had lasted longer for the respected elder scholar, he would have become blind.