لَنا صاحِبٌ قَد مُسَّ إِلّا بَقِيَّةٌ

لَنا صاحِبٌ قَد مُسَّ إِلّا بَقِيَّةٌ

فَلَيسَ بِمَجنونٍ وَلَيسَ بِعاقِلِ

فَلَيسَ بِمَجنونٍ وَلَيسَ بِعاقِلِ

We have a companion touched by madness, save for a shred of sanity;

We have a friend who's been touched but whose mind remains

So he is not a madman, nor is he sane.

He's neither sane nor insane

لَهُ قَدَمٌ لا تَستَقِرُّ بِمَوضِعٍ

لَهُ قَدَمٌ لا تَستَقِرُّ بِمَوضِعٍ

كَما يَتَنَزّى في الحَصى غَيرُ ناعِلِ

كَما يَتَنَزّى في الحَصى غَيرُ ناعِلِ

He has a foot that never stays in one place,

His feet won't settle in one place

Like a barefoot man hopping among the pebbles.

As he prances about aimlessly like a strutting rooster

إِذا ما بَدا في مَجلِسٍ ظُنَّ حافِلاً

إِذا ما بَدا في مَجلِسٍ ظُنَّ حافِلاً

مِنَ الصَخَبِ العالي وَلَيسَ بِحافِلِ

مِنَ الصَخَبِ العالي وَلَيسَ بِحافِلِ

Whenever he appears in a gathering, it is thought crowded,

When he appears at a gathering, the loud hubbub makes him seem immersed

Because of the loud clamor, though it is not crowded.

But in truth he is not immersed

وَيُمطِرُنا مِن لَفظِهِ كُلَّ جامِدٍ

وَيُمطِرُنا مِن لَفظِهِ كُلَّ جامِدٍ

وَيُمطِرُنا مِن رَيلِهِ شَرَّ سائِلِ

وَيُمطِرُنا مِن رَيلِهِ شَرَّ سائِلِ

And from his speech he showers us with every solid thing;

He bombards us with lifeless words

And from his drool he showers us with the foulest liquid.

And evil drivel pours out of him

وَيُلقي عَلى السُمّارِ كَفّاً دِعابُها

وَيُلقي عَلى السُمّارِ كَفّاً دِعابُها

كَعَضَّةِ بَردٍ في نَواحي المَفاصِلِ

كَعَضَّةِ بَردٍ في نَواحي المَفاصِلِ

And he lays upon the evening talkers a hand whose playful touch

He playfully smacks the gamblers with his palm

Is like a bite of cold around the joints.

Like the sting of cold in the joints