حجَجنَا لَعمرِي ابتغاءَ الثَّواب

فحَلَّ محلَّ الثوابِ العِقاب

Our pilgrimage was to seek reward,

But punishment took the place of reward.

وقالوا حَجَجَتُم فَهَيَّا ادخلُوا

ثلاَثا إلى السِّجنِ دونَ جَواب

They said, "You have made pilgrimage, now come,

Enter prison for three days, without answer."

ولا تحسِبوه كمثل السجُون

منَاما وأكلاً لُكُم وَشرَاب

Do not think it is like other prisons,

With sleep and food and drink for you.

فأمَّا الطعاَمُ فلَن تأكلُوهُ

سِوى إن دفعتُم عليه الحِسَاب

As for the food, you will not eat it,

Unless you pay for it.

كذاك المنَام ادفعُوا أجرَهُ

وإلاَّ فدونكُمُ والتُّرَاب

So too for sleep, pay its fee,

Or else, the ground is beneath you.

نقَدنا الأجورَ وجاء الطعَام

وخلفَه مثلُ الضّبابِ ذُبَاب

We paid the fees, and the food came,

But behind it was a swarm of flies.

فلسنَأ على أَكلهِ قادرِين

وفي تَركِه لنا أيُّ عِتَاب

We cannot bear to eat it,

And in leaving it, what blame on us?

فَهَذِي المحابِسُ مرقُومًَةٌ

وأرقامُها سُجِّلت في كِتاب

These prisons are numbered,

And their numbers recorded in a book.

ولا يَقعُدَنَّ علَى محبِسٍ

سِوى ربِّه واحذَرُوا ما يُعاب

None may occupy a prison,

Except its Lord. Beware what is disliked.

فقُلنا سنبقَى هنا صَائِمين

إلى أن يحينَ أوانُ الذهَاب

We said we would remain here fasting,

Until the time came to leave.

فقالُوا حرامٌ فإنَّ لنا

به حاجةٌ بعد هضمٍ تُجَاب

They said it is forbidden, for we

Still have need of it after digestion.

فيا ربِّ كيفَ تُخَلِّصُنا

وكيفَ السؤالُ وكيفَ الجَواب

Oh Lord, how will you deliver us?

How the question, and how the answer?