عُنيتُ بِمَركَبِ البِرذَونِ حَتّى

عُنيتُ بِمَركَبِ البِرذَونِ حَتّى

أَضَرَّ الكيسَ إِغلاءُ الشَعيرِ

أَضَرَّ الكيسَ إِغلاءُ الشَعيرِ

I took to riding a hack until

I relied on riding my mule until

I kept a saddle-horse with care sincere,

the rising price of barley hurt my purse.

The high cost of barley hurt my purse

Till barley's price made savings disappear.

فَحُلتُ إِلى البِغالِ فَأَعوَزَتني

فَحُلتُ إِلى البِغالِ فَأَعوَزَتني

فَحُلتُ مِنَ البِغالِ إِلى الحَميرِ

فَحُلتُ مِنَ البِغالِ إِلى الحَميرِ

So I turned to mules, but they were beyond my reach;

So I switched to donkeys but they left me incapacitated

I turned to mules, but found them far too dear,

then I turned from mules to donkeys.

So I switched from donkeys to a horse

So from the mules, to donkeys I drew near.

فَأَعيَتني الحَميرُ فَصِرتُ أَمشي

فَأَعيَتني الحَميرُ فَصِرتُ أَمشي

أُزَجّي الرِجلَ كَالرَجُلِ الكَسيرِ

أُزَجّي الرِجلَ كَالرَجُلِ الكَسيرِ

But donkeys too defeated me, so I began to walk,

But the horse tired me out so I ended up walking

Then donkeys failed me too, so I walk here,

dragging my foot along like a man with a broken limb.

Dragging my legs like a weak old man

Dragging my leg like a broken man, I fear.

وَما بي وَالحَميدُ اللَهُ كَسرٌ

وَما بي وَالحَميدُ اللَهُ كَسرٌ

وَلَكِن فَقدُ حُملانِ الأَميرِ

وَلَكِن فَقدُ حُملانِ الأَميرِ

And I have no fracture—God be praised—

But praise God, I have no disability

Yet—praise to God—no broken bone is here,

only the lack of a mount from the prince.

Just lost the transportation of the prince

My only break: no mount from the Emir.