1. شَوَيخْ مِن أرْضِ مِكْناس

    وسْطَ الأسْواق يُغَنِّي

    A little old man from the land of Meknes,

    Singing amid the markets.

  2. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن النَّاس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  3. أش عليّا يا صاحب

    مِن جمِيع الخَلايقْ

    What have I to do, my friend,

    With all created beings?

  4. إِفْعَل الخيرَ تنْجُو

    واتبعْ أهلَ الحقائق

    Do good, and you will be saved,

    And follow the people of truth.

  5. لا تقُلْ يا بني كِلْمَهْ

    إِلاَّ إِنْ كنتَ صادِق

    Speak no word, my son,

    Unless you are truthful.

  6. خُذ كلاَمِي في قُرْطاس

    واكتُبُوا حِرْزَ عَنِّي

    Set my words down on paper,

    And write them as a protective charm from me.

  7. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  8. ثم قول مبين

    ولا يحتاج عبارة

    Then comes a clear saying,

    And it needs no explanation:

  9. أشَ عَلَى حَدْ مِن حَدْ

    إِفْهَمُوا ذِي الإشاره

    What has one person to do with another?

    Understand this allusion.

  10. وانْظُرُوا كِبْرَ سِنِّي

    والعصي والغَزَارَه

    And look at my advanced age,

    And the walking sticks and the abundance.

  11. هكذا عِشْتُ في فاسْ

    وكَذاكْ هُونْ هُونِي

    This is how I lived in Fez,

    And likewise here is my lowly state.

  12. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  13. وما أحْسَنْ كَلامُوا

    إِذْ يَخْطُر في الأسْواق

    And how fine his words are,

    As he saunters through the markets.

  14. وتَرَى أهْلَ الحوانتْ

    تلْتفِتْ لو بالأعناقْ

    And you see the shopkeepers

    Turning their necks toward him,

  15. بغرارة في عنقوا

    وعكيكز وأقراق

    With a sack about his neck,

    And a little walking stick and wooden clogs.

  16. شُوَيْخْ مَبْنِي عَلى أساس

    كما أنْشَا اللهُ مَبْنِي

    A little old man built on a foundation,

    Built just as God fashioned him.

  17. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  18. لَرْ تَرَى ذا الشويَّخ

    مَا أرَقُّوا بمعنى

    If you could see this little old man,

    How gentle he is in spirit!

  19. إِلتفتْ لِي وقالْ لِي

    أش نراكْ تَتْبَعْنا

    He turned to me and said to me,

    Why do I see you following us?

  20. أنَا نَنْصِبْ لِي زَنْبِيل

    يَرْحَمُوا من رَحِمْنا

    I set out a basket for myself;

    May He have mercy on whoever has shown us mercy.

  21. وأقامُوا بَيْن أجناسْ

    ويقُول دَعْنِي دَعْنِي

    And He placed him among different peoples,

    And he says, 'Leave me, leave me.'

  22. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  23. مَنْ عَمِلْ يا بْنِي طَيِّبْ

    ما يُصِيب إِلاَّ طَيِّب

    Whoever does good, my son,

    Receives nothing but good.

  24. لِعُيوبُوا سَينْظُر

    وفِعالُوا يُعَيِّب

    He will look at his own faults,

    And criticize his own deeds.

  25. والْمُقارِبْ بِحالِي

    يَبْقَى بَرَّا مُسَيِّب

    And whoever draws near to my state

    Remains outside, unbound.

  26. مَنْ مَعُوا طِيبَةَ أنفاس

    يدْرِي عُذْرَ المغنِّي

    Whoever bears sweetness of breath

    Understands the singer's excuse.

  27. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  28. وكَذاكْ إِشْتِغالُوا

    بالصَّلاهْ على مُحَمَّد

    And likewise he occupies himself

    With blessings upon Muhammad,

  29. والرِّضَا عَنْ وَزِيروا

    أبي بَكْرِ الْمُمَجَّدْ

    And prayers of favor for his minister,

    Abu Bakr, the glorified,

  30. وعُمَر قائِلَ الحقِّ

    وشَهِيد كُلِّ مَشْهَد

    And Umar, speaker of the truth,

    And a witness at every gathering;

  31. وعَلِي مُفْتِي الأرْجاس

    إِذا يَضْرِبْ مايْثِني

    And Ali, giver of rulings on impurities,

    When he strikes, he does not repeat the blow.

  32. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  33. يا إِلهِي رَجَوْتُك

    جُدْ عَلَيَّا بِتَوْبَه

    O my God, I have placed my hope in You;

    Bestow repentance upon me.

  34. بالنَّبي قَد سألتُكْ

    والكرامِ الأحِبه

    By the Prophet, I have asked You,

    And by the noble beloved ones.

  35. الرِّجِيم قد شَغَلْني

    وأنا مَعُوا في نُشْبَه

    The accursed one has distracted me,

    And I am entangled with him.

  36. قد مَلاَ قلْبي وَسْوَاس

    مِمَّا هُ يَبْغِي مِنِّي

    Whisperings have filled my heart

    From what he wants of me.

  37. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?

  38. تَمَّ وَصْفُ الشُّوَيِّخْ

    في مَعانِي نِظامي

    The description of the little old man is complete

    In the meanings of my verse.

  39. وإِنِّي خَوَّاص ونُقْرِي

    لأهْلِ فَنِّي سَلامِي

    And I am a palm-leaf weaver, and I convey

    My greetings to the people of my art.

  40. وإِذا جَوَّزُونِي

    نقُل أوَّلْ كَلامِي

    And if they let me pass,

    I say my opening words:

  41. شُوَيْخْ من أرضِ مِكْناس

    وسْطَ الأسْواق يُغَنِّي

    A little old man from the land of Meknes,

    Singing amid the markets.

  42. أشْ عَلَيَّا مِن الناس

    وأشْ على النَّاسِ منِّي

    What have I to do with people?

    And what have people to do with me?