هَزَزْتُهُ بِالمَدْحِ جَهْدِي فَمَا اهْتَزَّ

هَزَزْتُهُ بِالمَدْحِ جَهْدِي فَمَا اهْتَزَّ

وَنَادَى النَّاسُ كَمْ تَتْعَبُ

وَنَادَى النَّاسُ كَمْ تَتْعَبُ

I shook him with praise with all my might, but he did not stir.

I shook him with praise with all my might, but he did not stir,

And the people called out, “How you toil!”

And people called out, "How much work you do in vain!"

فَقُلْتُ أَرْجُو زُبْدَةً قِيلَ لي

فَقُلْتُ أَرْجُو زُبْدَةً قِيلَ لي

فَاتَكَ أَيْنَ اللَّبَنُ الطِّيِّبُ

فَاتَكَ أَيْنَ اللَّبَنُ الطِّيِّبُ

So I said, “I hope for butter”; I was told,

I said, "I hope for cream," and it was said to me,

“It has eluded you—where is the good milk?”

"Where is the good milk that is lost to you?"