فولٌ بفلسٍ غداءً

فولٌ بفلسٍ غداءً

واللبس سحق قطيفَهْ

واللبس سحق قطيفَهْ

A fils’ worth of fava beans for lunch,

A bean for his breakfast,

And a threadbare velvet cloak for clothing.

His clothes ragged and torn.

فاشمخْ بأنفِكَ تيهاً

فاشمخْ بأنفِكَ تيهاً

وعشْ بنفسٍ شريفَهْ

وعشْ بنفسٍ شريفَهْ

So hold your nose high in pride,

He sniffed deeply, lost,

And live with a noble soul.

Yet with a noble soul lived on.

قالوا الزمانُ خسيسٌ

قالوا الزمانُ خسيسٌ

فقلتُ نفسي شريفَهْ

فقلتُ نفسي شريفَهْ

They said, “The times are base.”

They said time was ignoble,

So I said, “My soul is noble.”

But my soul is noble, I responded.

والموتُ عدلٌ يسوِّي

والموتُ عدلٌ يسوِّي

بيني وبينَ الخليفَهْ

بيني وبينَ الخليفَهْ

And death is just: it brings equality

And death is the justice,

Between me and the caliph.

That makes the caliph and I equal.