سَليلَ الطينِ كَم نِلنا شَقاءً

وَكَم خَطَّت أَنامِلُنا ضَريحا

O child of clay, how much misery we suffered,

And how our fingers traced the wounds.

وَكَم أَزرَت بِنا الأَيّامُ حَتّى

فَدَت بِالكَبشِ إِسحاقَ الذَبيحا

And how many days oppressed us, until

Isaac was ransomed with a ram for slaughter.

وَباعَت يوسُفاً بَيعَ المَوالي

وَأَلقَت في يَدِ القَومِ المَسيحا

And Joseph was sold into slavery,

And the Messiah fell into the hands of the people.

وَيا نوحاً جَنَيتَ عَلى البَرايا

وَلَم تَمنَحهُمُ الوُدَّ الصَحيحا

O Noah, you wronged the people on earth

And did not grant them true affection.

عَلامَ حَمَلتَهُم في الفُلكِ هَلّا

تَرَكتَهُم فَكُنتَ لَهُم مُريحا

Why did you carry them in the ark? Why not

Leave them and give them relief?

أَصابَ رِفاقِيَ القِدحَ المُعَلّى

وَصادَفَ سَهمِيَ القِدحَ المَنيحا

My friends got the filled cup,

While my arrow got the empty cup.

فَلَو ساقَ القَضاءُ إِلَيَّ نَفعاً

لَقامَ أَخوهُ مُعتَرِضاً شَحيحا

Had fate brought me benefit,

His brother would stand, stingy, in the way.