وَبَدا فَغَنّاني البَعوضُ مُطرِباً

وَبَدا فَغَنّاني البَعوضُ مُطرِباً

فَهَرَقتُ كَأسَ النَومِ إِذ غَنّاني

فَهَرَقتُ كَأسَ النَومِ إِذ غَنّاني

And the mosquitoes appeared and sang to me melodiously;

The mosquito, singing, aroused me,

So I spilled the cup of sleep when they sang to me.

So I spilled the cup of sleep while it sang to me,

ثُمَّ اِنبَرى البُرغوثُ يَنقُطُ أُضلُعي

ثُمَّ اِنبَرى البُرغوثُ يَنقُطُ أُضلُعي

نَقطَ المُعَلِّمِ مُشكِلَ القُرآنِ

نَقطَ المُعَلِّمِ مُشكِلَ القُرآنِ

Then the flea sprang forward, dotting my ribs,

Then the flea sprang up, piercing my ribs,

As a teacher dots the difficult words of the Qur’an.

Like the teacher dots the difficult Koran,

حَتّى إِذا كَشَفَ الصَباحُ قِناعَهُ

حَتّى إِذا كَشَفَ الصَباحُ قِناعَهُ

قَرَأَت لِيَ الذُبانِ بِالأَلحانِ

قَرَأَت لِيَ الذُبانِ بِالأَلحانِ

Until, when morning lifted its veil,

Until when the dawn unveiled its face,

The flies recited to me in song.

The flies read to me with their tunes.