يا مَن قَليبُ إِخائِهِ

يا مَن قَليبُ إِخائِهِ

صافٍ بِلا كَدَرِ اِنقِلابِ

صافٍ بِلا كَدَرِ اِنقِلابِ

O you whose well of friendship

O you whose heart is pure of any turbidity,

is clear, unclouded by fickleness,

It would be best for me this evening,

لِيَ فَضلَةٌ أَمسِيَّةً

لِيَ فَضلَةٌ أَمسِيَّةً

إِحضارُها عَينُ الصَوابِ

إِحضارُها عَينُ الصَوابِ

I have a portion left for this evening—

To bring some chickens from Syria,

bringing it out is just the thing—

Which only students have tasted,

مِن أَفرُخٍ شامِيَّةٍ

مِن أَفرُخٍ شامِيَّةٍ

ما شامَها إِلّا طِلابي

ما شامَها إِلّا طِلابي

of young Syrian birds,

The young man went early with them,

that my seeking alone has espied.

To an oven of blazing inflammation,

بَكَرَ الغُلامُ بِها إِلى

بَكَرَ الغُلامُ بِها إِلى

ضَريمٍ لَموعِ الإِلتِهابِ

ضَريمٍ لَموعِ الإِلتِهابِ

The servant boy took them early to

And brought them back with their clothes,

a blaze glittering with flame,

Having turned saffron yellow,

وَأَعادَها مِنهُ وَقَد

وَأَعادَها مِنهُ وَقَد

صارَت مُزَعفَرَ الثِيابِ

صارَت مُزَعفَرَ الثِيابِ

and brought them back from it, now

And soft ducks whose feathers had just emerged,

clad in saffron-dyed garments.

And mustard greens pure and lush,

وَنَقانِقٌ حُشفُ الشَطا

وَنَقانِقٌ حُشفُ الشَطا

طِ وَخَردَلٌ صافي الرُضابِ

طِ وَخَردَلٌ صافي الرُضابِ

And sausages, shriveled in

And eggs that were loaded,

stature, and mustard with limpid nectar;

With patterns of embroidery,

وَبَوارِدٌ قَد حُمِّلَت

وَبَوارِدٌ قَد حُمِّلَت

جَرّاتُها طُرُزُ السَذابِ

جَرّاتُها طُرُزُ السَذابِ

and cold dishes: laden are

Some stuffed and some with holes,

their jars with rue's embroidery.

And some pickled, diffusing under every lid,

مِنها المُمَسَّكَةَ الغِلا

مِنها المُمَسَّكَةَ الغِلا

لَةَ وَالمُخَلَّقَةَ الإِهابِ

لَةَ وَالمُخَلَّقَةَ الإِهابِ

Among them, dishes with musk-perfumed

There is hummus that makes the spoon ring,

tunics and saffron-perfumed skins;

And baba ghanoush free of any fault,

وَمُخَلَّلاتٍ تَنتَشي

وَمُخَلَّلاتٍ تَنتَشي

في كُلِّ شافِ الحِجابِ

في كُلِّ شافِ الحِجابِ

and pickles, growing tipsy

And zucchinis stewed,

in every transparent-veiled jar:

Like musk melted into perfume,

تَدوي الخُمارَ وَمَن بِهِ

تَدوي الخُمارَ وَمَن بِهِ

مِن عِلَّةِ الصَفراءِ ما بي

مِن عِلَّةِ الصَفراءِ ما بي

they cure hangovers, and anyone who suffers

So if you are satisfied, you would please us,

from yellow bile as I do.

By smelling the smoke of kebab,

وَكَوامِخٌ بَيتِيَّةٌ

وَكَوامِخٌ بَيتِيَّةٌ

كَمُخَمِّرِ المِسكِ المُذابِ

كَمُخَمِّرِ المِسكِ المُذابِ

And homemade fermented relishes,

And we have an old lady, whose era,

as though brewing dissolved musk.

Is of a distant time of youth,

فَإِنِ اِنقتَنَعتَ أَرَحتَنا

فَإِنِ اِنقتَنَعتَ أَرَحتَنا

مِن شَمِّ دُخّانِ الكَبابِ

مِن شَمِّ دُخّانِ الكَبابِ

If you are content, you will spare us

Her deeds are aloof,

the smell of kebab smoke.

From any blame or flaw,

وَلَنا عَجوزٌ عَهدُها

وَلَنا عَجوزٌ عَهدُها

عَهدٌ بَعيدٌ بِالشَبابِ

عَهدٌ بَعيدٌ بِالشَبابِ

And we have an old woman whose acquaintance

She always endeared herself,

with youth lies far in the past.

By wearing crowns of seeds,

عِنَبِيَّةٌ أَفعالُها

عِنَبِيَّةٌ أَفعالُها

في مَعزِلٍ عَن كُلِّ عابِ

في مَعزِلٍ عَن كُلِّ عابِ

Grape-born, her deeds

A maiden like the excuse,

are far removed from every fault.

That is led by the blamer of reproach,

أَبَداً تَحَبَّبَ نَفسَها

أَبَداً تَحَبَّبَ نَفسَها

بِلِباسِ تيجانِ الحِبابِ

بِلِباسِ تيجانِ الحِبابِ

She always endears herself

And we have a skilled singer,

by wearing crowns of bubbles.

Whose strings are full of turmoil,

عَذراءُ كَالعُذرِ الَّذي

عَذراءُ كَالعُذرِ الَّذي

يَقتادُهُ حادي العِتابِ

يَقتادُهُ حادي العِتابِ

A virgin, like the excuse that

His focus is his habit,

reproach's camel-driver leads forth.

And embracing him is my pursuit,

وَلَنا مُغَنٍّ حاذِقٌ

وَلَنا مُغَنٍّ حاذِقٌ

أَوتارُهُ ذاتَ اِصطِخابِ

أَوتارُهُ ذاتَ اِصطِخابِ

And we have a skilled singer,

If a freeman comes, his singing,

his strings ringing with clamor.

I make him soften to choose me,

إِلمامُهُ بِيَ دَأَبُهُ

إِلمامُهُ بِيَ دَأَبُهُ

وَالإِشتِمالُ عَلَيهِ دابي

وَالإِشتِمالُ عَلَيهِ دابي

Calling on me is his habit,

And for our grace and elegance,

and enfolding him is mine.

Is the taste of avoiding avoidance,

إِن جاءَ حُرٌّ غِنائُهُ

إِن جاءَ حُرٌّ غِنائُهُ

مَلَّكتُهُ رَقَّ اِنتِخابي

مَلَّكتُهُ رَقَّ اِنتِخابي

If his singing comes forth freeborn,

And we have three, we never hunted,

I make him master of my chosen bondage.

For pleasure with coercion,

وَلِلَوزِنا وَلِنَبقِنا

وَلِلَوزِنا وَلِنَبقِنا

طَعمُ اِجتِنابِ الإِجتِنابِ

طَعمُ اِجتِنابِ الإِجتِنابِ

And our almonds and our lote-fruit

So with the camphor of dew in it,

have the taste of shunning abstention.

Above the musk of mist,

وَلَنا ثَلاثٌ لَم نَصِد

وَلَنا ثَلاثٌ لَم نَصِد

فيها سُروراً بِاِستِلابِ

فيها سُروراً بِاِستِلابِ

And we have three; we have not hunted

Unless you come in the morning,

joy among them by force.

To apologize for the discord,

فَبِتيهِ كافورِ النَدى

فَبِتيهِ كافورِ النَدى

فيهِ عَلى مِسكِ الضَبابِ

فيهِ عَلى مِسكِ الضَبابِ

So, by the pride that dew's camphor

So I have explained the situation,

shows there over the musk of mist,

And clarified it for you in my letter,

إِلّا أَتَيتِ عَلى الصِبا

إِلّا أَتَيتِ عَلى الصِبا

لِلإِعتِذارِ عَلى التَصابي

لِلإِعتِذارِ عَلى التَصابي

do come in youthful spirit,

If it comes and you read it,

to make amends for youthful dalliance.

Then be the answer without answer.

فَالحالُ قَد فَصَّلتُها

فَالحالُ قَد فَصَّلتُها

وَشَرَحتُها لَكَ في كِتابي

وَشَرَحتُها لَكَ في كِتابي

So I have now set out the situation,

and explained it to you in my letter.

فَإِذا أَتى وَقَرَأتَهُ

فَإِذا أَتى وَقَرَأتَهُ

فَكُنِ الجَوابَ بِلا جَوابِ

فَكُنِ الجَوابَ بِلا جَوابِ

So when it arrives and you have read it,

then be the answer, without an answer.