1. O Max, your life is shameful,
And death is a cup passing around,
١. يا مكس دنياك عاره
والموت كأس مداره
2. And time is a day and a day,
And life keeps changing,
٢. والدهر يوما ويوما
والحال طورا وتاره
3. And living is a flower of spring,
Short lived is the freshness.
٣. والعيش زهر ربيع
قصير عمر النضارة
4. When old age comes,
All profit is loss.
٤. إذا بلغن التراقى
فكل ربح خساره
5. O Max, tell me true,
Have they sealed you with stones?
٥. يا مكس قل لي أحق
قد وسّدوك الحجارة
6. And kept you away for long
Like a shining lighthouse,
٦. وغيبوك طويلا
أشمَّ مثل المناره
7. Away from the whiteness of India,
The canopy and the jars.
٧. عن أبيض الهند سلوالـ
ـعريش والجراره
8. Were you not my homeland,
In every sense of the word?
٨. ألم تكن وطنيا
بكل معنى العباره
9. So how many battles did you witness?
And how many times did the cave redden?
٩. فكم شهدت قتالا
وكم تورّدت غاره
10. And how many times did you wear a cross,
On the forehead like a badge?
١٠. وكم لبست صليبا
على الجبين وشاره
11. And how many wounded did you carry
Who then died under treatment?
١١. وكم نقلت جريحا
فمات بالاستشاره
12. O Max you lived purely,
And died like a spotless star,
١٢. يا مكس عشت نقيا
ومت خِذن طهاره
13. No alley complained of you,
Nor did any neighborhood blame you.
١٣. ما ضج منك زقاق
ولا اشتكت منك حاره
14. You did not bite the sea,
Or threaten any neighbor.
١٤. وما عضضت بحار
ولا هممت بجاره
15. Nor did you wear majestic attire
Full of deceit and immorality.
١٥. ولا اشتملت جِلالا
على الخنا والدعاره
16. You lived at home for a lifetime,
And there is no rat in the home.
١٦. قد عشت في البيت عمرا
وليس في البيت فاره
17. In India every poor person,
His fasting is piercing.
١٧. في الهند كل فقير
هدّ الصيام فقاره
18. Your chosen path is hidden from him,
In the air.
١٨. في الجو تخفى عليه
طريقك المختاره
19. When Ibn Sina deserted you,
And became infatuated with the car,
١٩. لما جفاك ابن سينا
وهام بالسيارة
20. You fled from him and ran,
Like a spinning bee.
٢٠. تفر منه وتجرى
كالنحلة الدوّاره
21. So you do not listen to the horn,
Nor to the flute.
٢١. فلا إلى البوق تصغى
ولا إلى الزماره
22. And he degraded you,
Until he lost his dignity.
٢٢. وقد تهتّك فيها
حتى أضاع وقاره
23. From that you carried a sorrow,
That melted your bitterness.
٢٣. حملت من ذاك غما
أذاب منك المراره
24. So you bravely committed suicide,
And suicide is courage.
٢٤. حتى انتحرت جريئا
والانتحار جساره
25. You sent your head plummeting,
From a hill of peace.
٢٥. أرسلت رأسك يهوى
من ربوة لقراره