تظُنّني قدْ بِتُّ مَحمُومَا

تظُنّني قدْ بِتُّ مَحمُومَا

لأَنَّني أَصْبحتُ مَتْخُومَا

لأَنَّني أَصْبحتُ مَتْخُومَا

You think I spent the night feverish,

You think I have become lovesick

because I awoke with indigestion.

Because I have become deceived

تخِمتُ من جُوعٍ وإِنِّي كما

تخِمتُ من جُوعٍ وإِنِّي كما

تعرِفُني مَا زِلْتُ مَنْهُوما

تعرِفُني مَا زِلْتُ مَنْهُوما

I got indigestion from hunger; and I am, as

I am fed up with hunger yet as

you know me to be, still ravenous.

You know me, I remain resolute

عِند لئِيمٍ كنتُ إِذْ جئتُه

عِند لئِيمٍ كنتُ إِذْ جئتُه

أَكثرَ مِنْه في الورَى لُوما

أَكثرَ مِنْه في الورَى لُوما

With a miser, when I came to him, I was

With a scoundrel I was when I came to him

baser than he among mankind.

More blameworthy than him in existence

ظلمتُ نفْسي في رَوَاحِي له

ظلمتُ نفْسي في رَوَاحِي له

وطَالَمَا قد كُنتُ مَظْلُوما

وطَالَمَا قد كُنتُ مَظْلُوما

I wronged myself by going to him,

I wronged myself in my inclinations towards him

and how often have I been wronged!

And I have long been wronged

تبعتُه جهلاً فلا يُنكر الـ

تبعتُه جهلاً فلا يُنكر الـ

ـخرابَ من يَتْبَعُ البُوما

ـخرابَ من يَتْبَعُ البُوما

I followed him in ignorance; let none be surprised by the

I followed him foolishly so it is no wonder

ruin of one who follows owls.

Ruin comes to those who follow the wicked

وأَخَّر الأَكل إِلى أَن غدتْ

وأَخَّر الأَكل إِلى أَن غدتْ

عَيْني مِن دمْعتها مِيما

عَيْني مِن دمْعتها مِيما

And he delayed the meal until

And I delayed eating until my

my eye, from its tears, became the letter mīm.

Eyes overflowed with their tears

فانصبَّت الأَخْلاطُ في معدتي

فانصبَّت الأَخْلاطُ في معدتي

وامتلأَت من شرِّها شُوما

وامتلأَت من شرِّها شُوما

Then the bodily humors poured into my stomach,

So disorders gathered in my stomach

and their evil filled it with ill fortune.

And it filled up with their evils

وسام مني الأَكل من زاده

وسام مني الأَكل من زاده

يا ليت منه كنتُ مَحْرُوما

يا ليت منه كنتُ مَحْرُوما

And he asked me to eat from his provisions;

Food passed me by from his provisions

oh, if only I had been deprived of it!

Oh how I wish I was deprived of it

وجاءَنا من بعد لأْيٍ به

وجاءَنا من بعد لأْيٍ به

ودمْعُه في العين مَسْجوما

ودمْعُه في العين مَسْجوما

After much difficulty he brought it to us,

And after a while he came to us

with tears streaming in his eyes.

With tears welling up in his eyes

مُنْكشِفاً منكسراً قد بدا

مُنْكشِفاً منكسراً قد بدا

ما منه عِندي صَار مَرْجُوما

ما منه عِندي صَار مَرْجُوما

He appeared exposed and crestfallen;

Appearing downcast and broken, it seemed

what came from him was now accursed in my eyes.

To me whatever was his became cast out

وكان في همٍّ وفي هِمَّةٍ

وكان في همٍّ وفي هِمَّةٍ

كأَنَّه قد نحَرَ الكُومَا

كأَنَّه قد نحَرَ الكُومَا

And he was all worry and exertion,

And he was worried and determined

as though he had slaughtered great-humped camels.

As if he had slaughtered a sheep

ولم أَجِدْ لحْماً ولكن وجد

ولم أَجِدْ لحْماً ولكن وجد

تُ الفول والكُرَّات والثُّومَا

تُ الفول والكُرَّات والثُّومَا

I found no meat, but I found

But I did not find meat, rather I found

broad beans, leeks, and garlic.

Beans, potatoes and garlic

فاختلط الخلطُ بذاك الخرا

فاختلط الخلطُ بذاك الخرا

وصارَ في المِعدة زقُّوما

وصارَ في المِعدة زقُّوما

So the bodily humor mixed with that shit,

So those ingredients mixed with that ruin

and became zaqqūm in my stomach.

And became poison in the stomach

يا لَطَعامٍ متُّ من أَكْله

يا لَطَعامٍ متُّ من أَكْله

لعلَّه قد كان مَسْمُوما

لعلَّه قد كان مَسْمُوما

Oh, what a meal—I died from eating it!

Oh what a lethal meal from eating

Perhaps it had been poisoned.

Perhaps it was even poisoned

وجاءَنا الشَّادِي يُغنِّي فما

وجاءَنا الشَّادِي يُغنِّي فما

غنَّى من الشِّعر سوى قُوما

غنَّى من الشِّعر سوى قُوما

And the singer came to us singing, but

And the singer came to us but did not

he sang no verse except 'qūmā'—'Rise, you two!'

Sing any poetry except nonsense