تُعْجِبُنِي رُؤَيةُ حُولِيِّكمْ

تُعْجِبُنِي رُؤَيةُ حُولِيِّكمْ

وَقَدْ تَمَطَّى جَاثِماً كَالجَمَلِ

وَقَدْ تَمَطَّى جَاثِماً كَالجَمَلِ

I delight in the sight of your yearling lamb,

I like to see your faces around me

stretched out, crouching like a camel.

Bent down like a kneeling camel

أَلقَى بِشَدْقٍ خَافِضاً رَأْسَهُ

أَلقَى بِشَدْقٍ خَافِضاً رَأْسَهُ

وَالدِّيكُ مِنْ خَلْفِ عَلِيُّ الكَفَلِ

وَالدِّيكُ مِنْ خَلْفِ عَلِيُّ الكَفَلِ

It has laid its cheek down, lowering its head,

With a lowered cheek, his head hung down

and the rooster behind it has its rump raised high.

And the rooster behind, Ali Al-Kafel

يَقُولُ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا دَاعِياً

يَقُولُ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا دَاعِياً

طَابَ بِأَكْلِي مَهْجَةُ مِنْ أَكَلِ

طَابَ بِأَكْلِي مَهْجَةُ مِنْ أَكَلِ

Each of the two says in invitation:

Each saying invitingly

“May eating me gladden the eater’s heart!”

My belly was pleased with what it ate

وَرُبَّ حُوبٌ عَامَ فِي مَنْهَلٍ

وَرُبَّ حُوبٌ عَامَ فِي مَنْهَلٍ

مِنْ ذَوْبِ دُهْنٍ لَذِمْنَهُ النَّهلِ

مِنْ ذَوْبِ دُهْنٍ لَذِمْنَهُ النَّهلِ

And many a sin swam in a pool,

And much darling in a watering hole

of melted fat, pleasant to drink.

From melted fat, its drinking was sweet

ذُ مَزَّةٍ خُطَّت عَلَى حَرْفِهِ

ذُ مَزَّةٍ خُطَّت عَلَى حَرْفِهِ

وَعَنْ مَعَانِي لَفْظِهَا لاَ تَسَلِ

وَعَنْ مَعَانِي لَفْظِهَا لاَ تَسَلِ

Bearing a relish inscribed upon its rim—

With a taste embellished on its edge

and do not ask what its wording means.

And from its words' meanings do not ask

يَرْنُو إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ فِي جَنْبِهِ

يَرْنُو إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ فِي جَنْبِهِ

وَقَدْ زَهَتْ بِالحُسْنِ مِنْهُ الحُلَلِ

وَقَدْ زَهَتْ بِالحُسْنِ مِنْهُ الحُلَلِ

It gazes at the sultan beside it,

Yearning to the sultan by its side

whose robes shine with beauty.

Adorned with beauty, from it the robes

وَلِلْبَرَاغِيتِ بِأَمْعَائِنَا

وَلِلْبَرَاغِيتِ بِأَمْعَائِنَا

قَرْصَةُ جُوعٍ مِثْلِ طَعْنِ الأَسَل

قَرْصَةُ جُوعٍ مِثْلِ طَعْنِ الأَسَل

And the fleas within our entrails

And for the gluttons in our intestines

bite with hunger like the thrust of spears.

A bite of hunger like the sting of thorns

وَالبَطْرَخُ المَضْرُوبُ فِي زَيْتِهِ

وَالبَطْرَخُ المَضْرُوبُ فِي زَيْتِهِ

قَدْ لاَنَ وَابْيَضَّ كَشَمْعِ العَسَل

قَدْ لاَنَ وَابْيَضَّ كَشَمْعِ العَسَل

And the fish roe beaten in its oil

The fried eggplant in its oil

has softened and turned white like beeswax.

Has softened and whitened like beeswax

وَكَمْ وَكَمْ لوْناً مَضَى عَهْدُهُ

وَكَمْ وَكَمْ لوْناً مَضَى عَهْدُهُ

وَطَعْمُهُ فِي ذَوْقِنَا لَمْ يَزَلِ

وَطَعْمُهُ فِي ذَوْقِنَا لَمْ يَزَلِ

And many, many a dish is long gone,

And how much color has passed its days

yet its taste still lingers on our palate.

Yet its taste in our mouths has not ceased

مَائِدَةٌ فَيْحَاءٌ أَصْنَافُهَا

مَائِدَةٌ فَيْحَاءٌ أَصْنَافُهَا

عِشْرُونَ إِنْ عُدَّتْ وَلَيْستْ أَقَلِ

عِشْرُونَ إِنْ عُدَّتْ وَلَيْستْ أَقَلِ

A spacious table, whose dishes

A table, dishes galore

number twenty if counted, and no fewer.

Twenty if counted, no less

قُمْنَا حَوَالَيْهَا وَمَا خِلْتَنَا

قُمْنَا حَوَالَيْهَا وَمَا خِلْتَنَا

إِلاَّ جَرَاداً فَي خَصِيبٍ نَزَلِ

إِلاَّ جَرَاداً فَي خَصِيبٍ نَزَلِ

We stood around it, and you thought us

We stood around it, and we were not lacking

nothing but locusts alighting on fertile ground.

Except locusts in a fertile valley that landed

مَا شِئْتَ حَدِّثْ عَنْ قِرَى حَاتَمٍ

مَا شِئْتَ حَدِّثْ عَنْ قِرَى حَاتَمٍ

وَلاَ تَصُنْ مَدَحَكَ فِيمَا بُذَلِ

وَلاَ تَصُنْ مَدَحَكَ فِيمَا بُذَلِ

Speak as much as you wish of Hatim’s hospitality,

Say what you wish of Hatim's towns

and do not withhold your praise for what was given.

And do not be shy in what was spent