سَألْنَا رَبيعَ ألْعامِ للِعاَمِ رَحْمَةً

سَألْنَا رَبيعَ ألْعامِ للِعاَمِ رَحْمَةً

فَضَنّ وَلَمْ يَسْمَحْ بِذَرّةِ إنْعَامِ

فَضَنّ وَلَمْ يَسْمَحْ بِذَرّةِ إنْعَامِ

We asked the year's spring for mercy upon the year;

so it was miserly and would not grant an atom of bounty.

وَقْلنا وَقَدْ رَدّ اَلْوُجُوهَ وَلَمْ يُبَلْ

وَقْلنا وَقَدْ رَدّ اَلْوُجُوهَ وَلَمْ يُبَلْ

قَليلُ الْحَياَ وَاَللّهِ أصْبَحْتَ مِن عَامِ

قَليلُ الْحَياَ وَاَللّهِ أصْبَحْتَ مِن عَامِ

And we said, after it had turned our faces away without a care:

“By God, for a year now you have been short of rain—and shame.”