يُرى بالكسِّ للناسِ اِعتناء

يُرى بالكسِّ للناسِ اِعتناء

وَمِنهُ مُضاعفا جاءَ العَناء

وَمِنهُ مُضاعفا جاءَ العَناء

People are seen to take an interest in couscous;

With loose living people seek renown,

And from it has come redoubled hardship.

And from it redoubled woe comes down.

تُغالُ بِه العقولُ ولا حياة

تُغالُ بِه العقولُ ولا حياة

إِذا غيلَ التعقّل وَالحَياء

إِذا غيلَ التعقّل وَالحَياء

Minds are destroyed by it, and there is no life

It crazes minds; no life survives

When reason and modesty are destroyed.

When moderation and modesty die.

فَإِن تخصَب بِمرتعهِ جسومٌ

فَإِن تخصَب بِمرتعهِ جسومٌ

فَقَد هُزل التعرّف والذّكاء

فَقَد هُزل التعرّف والذّكاء

For if bodies grow fat in its pasture,

Though peasant frames grow sleek thereby,

Then understanding and intelligence have grown lean.

Recognition and discernment fail thereby.

وَإِن يكُ فيه للبدويّ طبٌّ

وَإِن يكُ فيه للبدويّ طبٌّ

فَلِلحضريّ أَسقامٌ وداء

فَلِلحضريّ أَسقامٌ وداء

And if it holds medicine for the Bedouin,

If for the nomad it makes sound physique,

For the city-dweller it holds ailments and disease.

The townsman by it is made sick and weak.

تعفّفَ عنهُ كلّ عفيفِ طبعٍ

تعفّفَ عنهُ كلّ عفيفِ طبعٍ

وَهامَ بهِ الطغامُ الأغبياء

وَهامَ بهِ الطغامُ الأغبياء

Everyone of virtuous nature has abstained from it,

From it every man of gentle strain

And the foolish rabble have become infatuated with it.

Abstains, but fools without brains are fain.

فَدعهُ لأهلهِ بالطبعِ واِنزع

فَدعهُ لأهلهِ بالطبعِ واِنزع

لِعرقٍ كانَ مِنه لكَ النّماء

لِعرقٍ كانَ مِنه لكَ النّماء

So leave it to those naturally suited to it, and turn

Leave it to those whose nature suits it;

To the root from which you grew.

From it thy stock nobler growth computes.

فَلَستَ تَرى لعمرُك هاشميّاً

فَلَستَ تَرى لعمرُك هاشميّاً

يُكسكسُ ما تلا صُبحاً مَساء

يُكسكسُ ما تلا صُبحاً مَساء

For, by your life, you will not see a Hashemite

Thou shalt not see, please God, a Hashimite

Eating couscous as long as evening follows morning.

Engage therein from morn to evening light.