ومسمع غناؤه

ومسمع غناؤه

يبدل بالفقر الغنى

يبدل بالفقر الغنى

And a singer whose singing

His singing brings joy,

turns wealth into poverty.

Exchanging poverty for wealth.

شهدته في عصبةٍ

شهدته في عصبةٍ

رضيتهم لي قرنا

رضيتهم لي قرنا

I saw him among a company

I saw him in a group,

whom I accepted as companions.

I was pleased to make him my companion.

أبصرته فلم تخب

أبصرته فلم تخب

فراستي لما دنا

فراستي لما دنا

I saw him, and it did not fail—

I looked at him closely,

my intuition, when he drew near.

My insight did not fail me as I drew near.

وقلت من ذا وجهه

وقلت من ذا وجهه

كيف يكون محسنا

كيف يكون محسنا

And I said, "One with such a face—

And I asked, "Who is this with the radiant face?

how could he perform well?"

How can he be so virtuous?"

ورمت أن أروح لل

ورمت أن أروح لل

ظن به ممتحنا

ظن به ممتحنا

And I sought to set out,

I intended to test him,

testing my opinion of him.

Suspicious of his goodness.

فقلت من بينهم

فقلت من بينهم

هات أخي غن لنا

هات أخي غن لنا

So, from among them, I said,

I said, "Of all these people,

"Come, my brother, sing for us."

Bring me this man, let him sing for us!"

ويوم سلعٍ لم يكن

ويوم سلعٍ لم يكن

يومي بسلعٍ هينا

يومي بسلعٍ هينا

And on the day at Salʿ, it was not

It was not an easy day,

an easy day for me at Salʿ.

My day in the market.

فانشال منه حاجب

فانشال منه حاجب

وحلجب منه انحنى

وحلجب منه انحنى

Then a brow of his rose,

He frowned, and lowered his brow,

and a [brow?] of his bent down.

The gathering filled with a foul odor.

وامتلأ المجلس من

وامتلأ المجلس من

فيه نسيماً منتنا

فيه نسيماً منتنا

And the room filled with

When it hit their souls,

a foul-smelling breeze from his mouth.

It stirred up enmity and bitterness.

أوقع إذ وقع في الأن

أوقع إذ وقع في الأن

فس أسباب العنا

فس أسباب العنا

As he struck up, he cast into the

He said what he said,

souls the causes of anguish.

To those who would hear amidst the shadows of death.

وقال لما قال من

وقال لما قال من

يسمع في ظل الفنا

يسمع في ظل الفنا

And when he sang, whoever

He was not content with just melody and rhythm,

listened took his rest in death's shade.

Until he created a new composition.

وما اكتفى باللحن وال

وما اكتفى باللحن وال

تخليط حتى لحنا

تخليط حتى لحنا

Nor was he content with melody and

After all his boasting and bragging,

muddling, till he made grammatical blunders.

And tomorrow, how we will match him!

هذا وكم تكشخن ال

هذا وكم تكشخن ال

وغد وكم تقرنننا

وغد وكم تقرنننا

All this—and how often he played the pander, that

He imitated musical ensembles,

scoundrel, and how often we played the cuckolds!

As if he had composed it himself.

يوهم زمراً أنه

يوهم زمراً أنه

قطعه ودندنا

قطعه ودندنا

He makes groups believe that he

He let out a grating voice,

has divided it into phrases and hummed.

Beyond the acceptable limits.

وصاح صوتاً نافراً

وصاح صوتاً نافراً

يخرج عن حد البنا

يخرج عن حد البنا

And he shrieked a discordant sound

Those present did not realize

that went beyond the building's bounds.

What calamity he had brought upon them all.

وما درى محضره

وما درى محضره

ماذا على القوم جنى

ماذا على القوم جنى

And the one who brought him did not know

Some held their noses,

what he had inflicted on the company.

Others covered their ears.

فذا يسد أنفه

فذا يسد أنفه

وذا يسد الأذنا

وذا يسد الأذنا

So this one blocked his nose,

A group shielded their eyes,

and that one stopped his ear.

To block him out.

ومنهم جماعة

ومنهم جماعة

تستر عنه الأعينا

تستر عنه الأعينا

And a group among them

I became so angry I almost

shielded their eyes from him.

Vented my rage in sorrowful song.

فاغتظت حتى كدت من

فاغتظت حتى كدت من

غيظٍ أبث الشجنا

غيظٍ أبث الشجنا

So I grew enraged, till I almost, in

I said, "People, listen!

my rage, poured out my anguish.

Either to the singer or to me!"

وقلت يا قوم اسمعوا

وقلت يا قوم اسمعوا

إما المغني أو أنا

إما المغني أو أنا

And I said, "People, listen:

I swore I would not sit

either the singer or I!

Until this man left here.

أقسمت لا أجلس أو

أقسمت لا أجلس أو

يخرج هذا من هنا

يخرج هذا من هنا

I swear I will not sit down until

"Drag this dog out by his leg,

this fellow gets out of here.

This sickness and contempt!"

جروا برجل الكلب إن

جروا برجل الكلب إن

السقم هذا والضنا

السقم هذا والضنا

Drag the dog by the leg, for

They said, "You have been merciful to us,

this is sickness and wasting disease!"

And averted affliction from us."

قالوا لقد رحمتنا

قالوا لقد رحمتنا

وذدت عنا المحنا

وذدت عنا المحنا

They said, "You have truly shown us mercy

I rejoiced in removing him,

and driven afflictions away from us."

Easing my soul and earning their praise.

فحزت في إخراجه

فحزت في إخراجه

راحة نفسي والثنا

راحة نفسي والثنا

So, by expelling him, I gained

When he turned his back,

relief for my soul, and praise.

I saw relief openly expressed among them.

وحين ولى شخصه

وحين ولى شخصه

قرأت فيهم معلنا

قرأت فيهم معلنا

And when his figure turned away,

"Praise God," they said,

I recited among them, aloud:

"Who has removed our sorrow!"

الحمد لله الذي

الحمد لله الذي

أذهب عنا الحزنا

أذهب عنا الحزنا

"Praise be to God, who

has taken sorrow away from us."