ومسمع غناؤه

ومسمع غناؤه

يبدل بالفقر الغنى

يبدل بالفقر الغنى

And a singer whose song

His singing brings joy,

replaces wealth with poverty.

Exchanging poverty for riches.

شهدته في عصبةٍ

شهدته في عصبةٍ

رضيتهم لي قرنا

رضيتهم لي قرنا

I saw him among a company

I saw him in a gathering,

I had accepted as my companions.

And found the company pleasing.

أبصرته فلم تخب

أبصرته فلم تخب

فراستي لما دنا

فراستي لما دنا

I saw him, and unerring was

My insight did not fail me

my intuition when he drew near.

When I drew near.

وقلت من ذا وجهه

وقلت من ذا وجهه

كيف يكون محسنا

كيف يكون محسنا

And I said, 'One with a face like this—

I wondered who this was,

how could he be any good?'

That could be so benevolent.

ورمت أن أروح لل

ورمت أن أروح لل

ظن به ممتحنا

ظن به ممتحنا

And I wished to leave, after

I thought I would test him,

putting my opinion of him to the test.

With suspicious intent.

فقلت من بينهم

فقلت من بينهم

هات أخي غن لنا

هات أخي غن لنا

So I said from among them,

So I said, from among them,

'Come on, my brother, sing for us.'

"Brother, sing us a song!"

ويوم سلعٍ لم يكن

ويوم سلعٍ لم يكن

يومي بسلعٍ هينا

يومي بسلعٍ هينا

'And the day of Salʿ was not

It was not an easy day for me

an easy day for me at Salʿ.'

In that gathering.

فانشال منه حاجب

فانشال منه حاجب

وحلجب منه انحنى

وحلجب منه انحنى

Then one of his eyebrows rose,

He frowned,

and [an eyebrow] of his bent low.

And his eyebrows knitted.

وامتلأ المجلس من

وامتلأ المجلس من

فيه نسيماً منتنا

فيه نسيماً منتنا

And the room was filled, from

The room filled with

his mouth, with a fetid breeze.

A foul stench from him.

أوقع إذ وقع في الأن

أوقع إذ وقع في الأن

فس أسباب العنا

فس أسباب العنا

As he struck up, he cast into the

When it landed, it planted

souls the causes of suffering.

The causes of misery in the soul.

وقال لما قال من

وقال لما قال من

يسمع في ظل الفنا

يسمع في ظل الفنا

And when he sang, said one

He said what someone says

who listened, 'We are in death's shadow.'

Who hears amidst oblivion:

وما اكتفى باللحن وال

وما اكتفى باللحن وال

تخليط حتى لحنا

تخليط حتى لحنا

Nor was he content with melody and

Nor did he stop at melody and

muddling; he even mangled the grammar.

Mixture until he sang out of tune.

هذا وكم تكشخن ال

هذا وكم تكشخن ال

وغد وكم تقرنننا

وغد وكم تقرنننا

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

How he pretended and

wretch, and how often we played cuckolds!

Tomorrow, how we will mate!

يوهم زمراً أنه

يوهم زمراً أنه

قطعه ودندنا

قطعه ودندنا

He makes groups believe that he

Feigning a chorus, as if

has broken it into phrases and hummed.

He composed and hummed it.

وصاح صوتاً نافراً

وصاح صوتاً نافراً

يخرج عن حد البنا

يخرج عن حد البنا

And he shouted in a jarring voice

He cried out a jarring voice

that carried beyond the building's bounds.

Beyond the bounds of propriety.

وما درى محضره

وما درى محضره

ماذا على القوم جنى

ماذا على القوم جنى

Nor did the man who brought him know

Unaware, his company,

what he had inflicted upon the company.

Of what he had brought upon the people.

فذا يسد أنفه

فذا يسد أنفه

وذا يسد الأذنا

وذا يسد الأذنا

So one blocked his nose,

One held his nose,

and another blocked his ear.

Another held his ears closed.

ومنهم جماعة

ومنهم جماعة

تستر عنه الأعينا

تستر عنه الأعينا

And among them was a group

Among them, a group

shielding their eyes from him.

Covered their eyes from him.

فاغتظت حتى كدت من

فاغتظت حتى كدت من

غيظٍ أبث الشجنا

غيظٍ أبث الشجنا

So I grew enraged, until I nearly, from

I was so angry I nearly

rage, gave vent to my anguish.

Spewed my sorrows.

وقلت يا قوم اسمعوا

وقلت يا قوم اسمعوا

إما المغني أو أنا

إما المغني أو أنا

And I said, 'People, listen:

I said, "O people, listen

either the singer or me!

Either to the singer or to me!"

أقسمت لا أجلس أو

أقسمت لا أجلس أو

يخرج هذا من هنا

يخرج هذا من هنا

I have sworn I will not sit unless

I swore I would not sit until

this fellow leaves here.

This one left from here.

جروا برجل الكلب إن

جروا برجل الكلب إن

السقم هذا والضنا

السقم هذا والضنا

Drag the dog by his leg! For

"Drag the dog out, for

this is sickness and wasting disease!'

This illness and discontent!"

قالوا لقد رحمتنا

قالوا لقد رحمتنا

وذدت عنا المحنا

وذدت عنا المحنا

They said, 'You have indeed had mercy on us

They said, "You have been merciful

and driven afflictions away from us.'

And warded misfortune from us."

فحزت في إخراجه

فحزت في إخراجه

راحة نفسي والثنا

راحة نفسي والثنا

So, by expelling him, I gained

I took satisfaction in removing him,

relief for my soul and praise.

Easing my soul and praising God.

وحين ولى شخصه

وحين ولى شخصه

قرأت فيهم معلنا

قرأت فيهم معلنا

And when his figure turned away,

When his figure turned to leave

I recited among them, proclaiming aloud:

I read relief on their faces.

الحمد لله الذي

الحمد لله الذي

أذهب عنا الحزنا

أذهب عنا الحزنا

'Praise be to God, who

"Praise God, Who

has taken sorrow away from us.'

Has removed sorrow from us."