شكوت لله من نسلي وكثرته

شكوت لله من نسلي وكثرته

وقلت في ذاك والتوحيد معتقدي

وقلت في ذاك والتوحيد معتقدي

I complained to God of my offspring and their great number,

I complained to Allah about my many children

And said of this, with belief in God's oneness as my creed:

And I said to Him, though I firmly believe in His Oneness,

لا تنقضى سنة إلاّ ولى ولد

لا تنقضى سنة إلاّ ولى ولد

وأنت يا ربّ من ألفين لم تلد

وأنت يا ربّ من ألفين لم تلد

No year passes without my having a child,

Every year I gain a new child,

Yet You, O Lord, have not begotten for two thousand years.

While You, my Lord, have not begotten a son in two thousand years.

ولو وهبتَ لعيسى منك ألف أخ

ولو وهبتَ لعيسى منك ألف أخ

ما ضقت ذرعا ولا ضاقوا إلى الأبد

ما ضقت ذرعا ولا ضاقوا إلى الأبد

And had You given Jesus a thousand brothers from Yourself,

Had You granted Jesus a thousand brothers from Yourself,

You would not have been hard-pressed, nor they, for all eternity.

There would be ample room for them and more forever.

ولا ووجهك لم أكره تعدّدهم

ولا ووجهك لم أكره تعدّدهم

فأغنهم ثم هبهم لي بلا عدد

فأغنهم ثم هبهم لي بلا عدد

And no—by Your countenance—I have not disliked their multitude;

It is not the multitude of my children I abhor,

So enrich them, then grant them to me without number.

But only the hardship for them. So enrich them and grant them to me without count.