يا كاسِراً حَرفَ الرَغيفِ

يا كاسِراً حَرفَ الرَغيفِ

عَرَضتَ نَفسكَ لِلحُتوفِ

عَرَضتَ نَفسكَ لِلحُتوفِ

O you who break the edge of the loaf,

O breaker of bread's crust

O you who breaks the loaf's crisp side,

you have exposed yourself to mortal perils.

You've exposed yourself to spears

You cast yourself where dooms abide.

أَو ما عَلِمتَ بِأَن هُوَ

أَو ما عَلِمتَ بِأَن هُوَ

ذَرَةً غَيرَ نَوامِ ضَعيفِ

ذَرَةً غَيرَ نَوامِ ضَعيفِ

Or did you not know that he is

Don't you know that it is

Do you not know that he appears

a tiny ant, not a feeble sleepyhead?

But a crumb, not what the feeble sleep on

A sleepless mite, weak with his fears?

وَتَراهُ خَوفَ مُطفِّلٍ

وَتَراهُ خَوفَ مُطفِّلٍ

لِلبُخلِ يَأكُلُ في الكَنيفِ

لِلبُخلِ يَأكُلُ في الكَنيفِ

And you see him, for fear of an uninvited guest,

You see in it a parasite's fear

You see him, lest a guest intrude,

eating in the privy out of stinginess.

Eating thriftily from the loaf

In privies hiding with his food.