أحسن ما كان الدقيق موقعا

من رجل أفلس حتى أدقعا

The finest thing was when the flour was placed

By a man made bankrupt till he became worn out

إذا أتى يسعى حثيثاً مسرعا

من بعد ما مس الغلاء الأشنعا

When he comes hustling hastily speeding

After the dire high cost of living had affected him

ولحق السبعين أو ترفَّعا

عن ذاك لا يرحم من تضرعا

And reached seventy or became haughty

About that, he does not pity whoever implores

ومد ذو العيلة فيه الإصبعا

يشكو إلى الله ويمري المدمعا

And the family man stretched out his finger in it

Complaining to God and shedding tears

وأصبح القوم البطانُ جُوَّعا

وخشي الجائع أن لا يشبعا

And people became in the morning starved

And the hungry feared they would not be satiated

يا من تناهى منظراً ومسمعا

جمال وجه وثناء أروعا

O you whose appearance and hearing are perfect

Beauty of face and most eloquent praise

أفزعني الدهر فكن لي مفزعا

فكم تسمَّحتَ وكم تمنعا

Time has frightened me, so be a refuge for me

How often you were clement, and how often you forbade

وكم تحسنت وكم تشنَّعا

ولم يزل فضلك فيه مرتعا

And how often you were kind, and how often you were harsh

Yet your grace in it remained a pasture

للمقحطين الممحلين ممرعا

وكُبرُ ظني أن تقول مسمعا

For the impoverished and displaced, a refuge

And my great hopes that you would hear

لبيك لبيك لعاً ودَعْدَعا

بُدِّلت من بؤسك عيشاً خروعا

I am at your service, at your service, alive and well

Your misery was changed into comfortable living

يشهد أني حافظٌ من ضيَّعا

Witnessing that I am a preserver, not one who wasted