جاءَ الشِتاءُ وَلَيسَ عِندي جُبَّةٌ

جاءَ الشِتاءُ وَلَيسَ عِندي جُبَّةٌ

فَطَفقتُ أَطلُبُ دارَ الدينِ

فَطَفقتُ أَطلُبُ دارَ الدينِ

Winter came, and I had no robe.

Winter came and I had no coat

So I began seeking the house of religion.

So I began to seek the abode of faith

فَتَصَحَّفَت لَمّا فَراها حَبَّةً

فَتَصَحَّفَت لَمّا فَراها حَبَّةً

فَبَدا يُواصِلُ زَفرَةً بِأَنينِ

فَبَدا يُواصِلُ زَفرَةً بِأَنينِ

So it was misread when he read it as 'a grain'.

It seemed to him a beloved when he saw it

Then he was seen joining a sigh to a groan.

So he started moaning with sorrow

وَشَكا نِياطَ فُؤادِهِ وَحَرارَةً

وَشَكا نِياطَ فُؤادِهِ وَحَرارَةً

في قَلبِهِ تُربي عَلى سِجّينِ

في قَلبِهِ تُربي عَلى سِجّينِ

And he complained of his heartstrings and a burning heat

He complained of the flames in his heart

In his heart, fiercer than Sijjin.

That were raised on the firewood of captivity

وَغَدَت فَرائِصُهُ تَهزُّ كَأَنَّها

وَغَدَت فَرائِصُهُ تَهزُّ كَأَنَّها

سَعَفٌ عَرَتهُ الريحُ في تشرينِ

سَعَفٌ عَرَتهُ الريحُ في تشرينِ

And his flank muscles began to shake, as though they were

His ribs shook as if they were

Palm fronds assailed by the wind in Tishrin.

Reeds that the wind had blown in October

يَنسى فَيَسكُنُ ما بِهِ وَتَعودُهُ ال

يَنسى فَيَسكُنُ ما بِهِ وَتَعودُهُ ال

ذِكرى فَيُصرَعُ صَرعَةَ المَجنونِ

ذِكرى فَيُصرَعُ صَرعَةَ المَجنونِ

He forgets, and what ails him subsides; then he is revisited by the

He would forget and be still from what was in him

memory, and he is struck down in a madman's fit.

Then memories would return and he would collapse like a madman

فَشَكَرتُ رَبّي لَو قَراها جُبَّةً

فَشَكَرتُ رَبّي لَو قَراها جُبَّةً

لَقَتلتُهُ عَمداً بِلا سِكّينِ

لَقَتلتُهُ عَمداً بِلا سِكّينِ

So I thanked my Lord: had he read it as 'a robe',

I thanked my Lord that if he had read it as a coat

I would surely have killed him deliberately, without a knife.

I would have deliberately killed him without a knife

وَخَرَجتُ أَمشي القَهقَري مُتَسَتِّراً

وَخَرَجتُ أَمشي القَهقَري مُتَسَتِّراً

بِقرونِ حاجِبِهِ الزَكي اِبنِ القيني

بِقرونِ حاجِبِهِ الزَكي اِبنِ القيني

And I went out walking backward, hiding myself

And I went out walking quickly while hiding

Behind the horns of his virtuous chamberlain, Ibn al-Qayni.

Behind the horns of his handsome eyebrow, the son of al-Qayni