يا أَبا طَلحَةَ الجَوادَ أَغِثني

يا أَبا طَلحَةَ الجَوادَ أَغِثني

بِسِجالٍ مِن سَيبِكَ المَقسوم

بِسِجالٍ مِن سَيبِكَ المَقسوم

O generous Abu Talha, come to my aid

O Abu Talha, you generous man, help me

With bucketfuls from your allotted bounty.

With a loan from your divided fortune

أَحيِ نَفسي فَدَتك نَفسي فَإِنّي

أَحيِ نَفسي فَدَتك نَفسي فَإِنّي

مُفلِسٌ قَد عَلِمتَ ذاكَ عَديم

مُفلِسٌ قَد عَلِمتَ ذاكَ عَديم

Revive my soul—may my soul ransom you—for I

Revive my soul that I would sacrifice for you, for I am

Am bankrupt, as you know, destitute.

Broke, as you know well, completely destitute

أَو تَطَوَّع لَنا بِسَلفِ دَقيقٍ

أَو تَطَوَّع لَنا بِسَلفِ دَقيقٍ

أَجرُهُ إِن فَعَلتَ ذاكَ عَظيم

أَجرُهُ إِن فَعَلتَ ذاكَ عَظيم

Or freely lend us some flour:

Or volunteer to lend us some flour

Its reward, if you do that, is great.

For that, if you do it, your reward will be great

قَد عَلِمتُم فَلا تَعامُسَ عَنّي

قَد عَلِمتُم فَلا تَعامُسَ عَنّي

ما قَضى اللَهُ في طَعامِ اليَتيم

ما قَضى اللَهُ في طَعامِ اليَتيم

You know well—so do not feign ignorance of me—

You know this, so do not pretend ignorance

What God has decreed concerning an orphan's food.

Of what God decreed regarding the orphan’s food

لَيسَ لي غَيرُ جَرَّةٍ وَأَصيصٍ

لَيسَ لي غَيرُ جَرَّةٍ وَأَصيصٍ

وَكِتابٍ مُنَمنَمٍ كَالوُشومِ

وَكِتابٍ مُنَمنَمٍ كَالوُشومِ

I have nothing but a jar and a small pot,

I have nothing but an earthenware jug and a bowl

And a book finely ornamented like tattoos,

And a gilded book like tattoos

وَكِساءٍ أَبيعُهُ بِرَغيفٍ

وَكِساءٍ أَبيعُهُ بِرَغيفٍ

قَد رَقَعنا خُروقَهُ بِأَديم

قَد رَقَعنا خُروقَهُ بِأَديم

And a cloak I would sell for a loaf,

And a gown I sell for a loaf

Whose holes we have patched with leather,

Whose tears we have patched with leather

وَإِكافٍ أَعارَنيهِ نَشيطٌ

وَإِكافٍ أَعارَنيهِ نَشيطٌ

هُولِحافٌ لِكُلِّ ضَيفٍ كَريم

هُولِحافٌ لِكُلِّ ضَيفٍ كَريم

And a pack saddle that Nashit lent me:

And a pillow someone energetic lent me

It is a blanket for every noble guest.

A blanket for every generous guest

وَنَبيذٍ مِمّا يَبيعُ صُهَيبٌ

وَنَبيذٍ مِمّا يَبيعُ صُهَيبٌ

يَذَرُ الشَيخَ رُمحُهُ ما يَقوم

يَذَرُ الشَيخَ رُمحُهُ ما يَقوم

And wine of the kind Suhayb sells,

And wine that Suhaib sells

Which leaves an old man's spear unable to rise.

That leaves the old man without funds

رَبِّ حَلّاً فَقَد ذَكَرتُ أَصيصي

رَبِّ حَلّاً فَقَد ذَكَرتُ أَصيصي

وَلِحافي حَتّى تَغورَ النُجوم

وَلِحافي حَتّى تَغورَ النُجوم

My lord, some relief! I have spoken of my small pot

My Lord, it’s solved, for I mentioned my bowl

And my blanket until the stars sink from sight.

And my blanket until the stars disappear

كُلُّ بَيتٍ عَلَيهِ نِصفُ رَغيفٍ

كُلُّ بَيتٍ عَلَيهِ نِصفُ رَغيفٍ

ذاكَ قَسمٌ عَلَيهِمُ مَعلوم

ذاكَ قَسمٌ عَلَيهِمُ مَعلوم

Every household owes half a loaf;

Every house gets half a loaf

That is a known share due from them.

That’s the allotment, known to them

فَرَّ مِنهُ مُوَلِّياً فَأرُ بَيتي

فَرَّ مِنهُ مُوَلِّياً فَأرُ بَيتي

وَلَقَد كانَ ساكِناً ما يَريم

وَلَقَد كانَ ساكِناً ما يَريم

The mice of my house fled it, turning away,

It fled from it turning away, so show my house

Though they had dwelt there, never budging.

Though it was a permanent residence, undeteriorating

قُلتُ هذا صَومُ النَصارى فَحُلّوا

قُلتُ هذا صَومُ النَصارى فَحُلّوا

لا تُليحوا شُيوخَكُم في السَموم

لا تُليحوا شُيوخَكُم في السَموم

I said, "This is the Christians' fast, so settle down;

I said “this is the Christians' fast,” so be permitted

Do not let your elders waste away in the scorching wind."

Do not disgrace your elders with poison

ضَحِكَ الفَأرُ ثُمَّ قُلنَ جَميعاً

ضَحِكَ الفَأرُ ثُمَّ قُلنَ جَميعاً

أَهُوَ الحَقُّ كُلَّ يَومٍ تَصوم

أَهُوَ الحَقُّ كُلَّ يَومٍ تَصوم

The mice laughed, then all said,

The rat laughed, then we all said

"Is that true? You fast every day!"

“Is this the truth, every day you fast?”

قُلتُ إِنَّ البَراءَ قَد قامَ في الن

قُلتُ إِنَّ البَراءَ قَد قامَ في الن

ناسِ بِإِذنٍ وَأَنتَ فينا ذَميم

ناسِ بِإِذنٍ وَأَنتَ فينا ذَميم

I said, "Al-Bara has stood up among the

I said “al-Bara’ gave a sermon to the people

people with permission, while you are despised among us."

With permission while you are amongst us, despicable”

حَمَلوا زَادَهُم عَلى خُنفُساتِ

حَمَلوا زَادَهُم عَلى خُنفُساتِ

وَقُرادٍ مُخَيَّسٍ مَزموم

وَقُرادٍ مُخَيَّسٍ مَزموم

They loaded their provisions onto beetles

They carried their supplies on beetles

And ticks, subdued and haltered.

And crawling insects, condemned

وَإِذا ضَفدَعٌ عَلَيهِ إِكافٌ

وَإِذا ضَفدَعٌ عَلَيهِ إِكافٌ

عَلَّموهُ بَعدَ النِفارِ الرَسيم

عَلَّموهُ بَعدَ النِفارِ الرَسيم

And there was a frog with a pack saddle on it;

And when a gecko with a gown

After its shying, they taught it a brisk trot.

Trained after the caravan bells

خَطَموا أَنفَهُ بِقِطعَةِ حَبلٍ

خَطَموا أَنفَهُ بِقِطعَةِ حَبلٍ

يا لِقَومي لِأَنفِهِ المَخطوم

يا لِقَومي لِأَنفِهِ المَخطوم

They haltered its nose with a piece of rope:

They cut its nose with a rope piece

O my people—alas for its haltered nose!

Oh my people, for its severed nose

نَصَبوا مَنجَنيقَهُم حَولَ بَيتي

نَصَبوا مَنجَنيقَهُم حَولَ بَيتي

يا لِقَومي لِبَيتِيَ المَهدوم

يا لِقَومي لِبَيتِيَ المَهدوم

They set up their catapult around my house:

They set up their catapult around my house

O my people—alas for my demolished house!

Oh my people, for my demolished home

وَإِذا في الغَباءِ سَمُّ بُرَيصٍ

وَإِذا في الغَباءِ سَمُّ بُرَيصٍ

قائِمٌ فَوقَ بَيتَنا بِقَدوم

قائِمٌ فَوقَ بَيتَنا بِقَدوم

And there in the dust-haze was a gecko,

And when in the faded dusk a chameleon

Standing atop our house with an adze.

Stood over our home on its feet

قُلتُ بَيتُ الجَرينِ مَجمَعُ صِدقٍ

قُلتُ بَيتُ الجَرينِ مَجمَعُ صِدقٍ

كانَ قِدماً لِجَمعِكُم مَعلوم

كانَ قِدماً لِجَمعِكُم مَعلوم

I said, "The date-storehouse is a fine gathering place,

I said “the house of the locusts is an assembly of truth

Long known to your company."

It was formerly a known place for your assembly”

قُلتُ لَولا سَنّورَتاهُ اِحتَفَرنا

قُلتُ لَولا سَنّورَتاهُ اِحتَفَرنا

مَسكَناً تَحتَ تَمرِهِ المَركوم

مَسكَناً تَحتَ تَمرِهِ المَركوم

I said, "Were it not for its two she-cats, we would dig

I said “if not for its two turret towers we would have dug

A dwelling beneath its piled-up dates.

A dwelling beneath its piled dates”

إِن تُلاقِ سَنَّورَتاهُ فَضاءً

إِن تُلاقِ سَنَّورَتاهُ فَضاءً

تَذَرانا وَجَمعُنا كَالهَزيم

تَذَرانا وَجَمعُنا كَالهَزيم

If its two she-cats find open ground,

If its two towers meet a spacious place

They will leave us with our band like a routed host."

They will leave us and our group routed

عَشَّشَ العَنكَبوتُ في قَعرِ دَنّي

عَشَّشَ العَنكَبوتُ في قَعرِ دَنّي

إِنَّ ذا مِن رزِيَّتي لَعَظيم

إِنَّ ذا مِن رزِيَّتي لَعَظيم

The spider has nested in the bottom of my wine jar;

The spider nested in the bottom of my shelter

Among my misfortunes, this is indeed a great one.

That is from my blessings indeed great

لَيتَني قَد غَمَرتُ دَنِّيَ حَتّى

لَيتَني قَد غَمَرتُ دَنِّيَ حَتّى

أُبصِرَ العَنكَبوتَ فيهِ يَعوم

أُبصِرَ العَنكَبوتَ فيهِ يَعوم

If only I had filled my wine jar to the brim, so that

If only I had flooded my shelter until

I could see the spider swimming in it,

I saw the spider in it swimming

غَرِقاً لا يُغيثُهُ الدَهرَ إِلّا

غَرِقاً لا يُغيثُهُ الدَهرَ إِلّا

زَبَدٌ فَوقَ رَأسِهِ مَركوم

زَبَدٌ فَوقَ رَأسِهِ مَركوم

Drowning, with no help ever reaching it except

Drowning without the days saving him

Foam piled above its head,

Except foam over his piled head

مُخرِجاً كَفَّهُ يُنادي ذُباباً

مُخرِجاً كَفَّهُ يُنادي ذُباباً

أَن أَغِثني فَإِنَّني مَظلوم

أَن أَغِثني فَإِنَّني مَظلوم

Stretching out its hand and calling to a fly:

Putting out his palm calling to a fly

"Help me, for I have been wronged!"

“Save me for I am wronged”

قالَ ذَرني فَلَن أُطيقَ دَنُوّاً

قالَ ذَرني فَلَن أُطيقَ دَنُوّاً

مِن نَبيذٍ يَشُمُّهُ المَزكوم

مِن نَبيذٍ يَشُمُّهُ المَزكوم

It said, "Leave me alone, for I cannot bear to approach

It said “Leave me be, for I cannot approach

Wine that even someone with a cold can smell."

Wine whose fragrance is perceived by the noble”