مَولايَ يامَن لَهُ أَيادٍ

لَيسَ إِلى عَدِّها سَبيلُ

My Master, You whose hands are bountiful

With no limit to be counted

وَمَن إِذا قَلَّتِ العَطايا

فَجودُهُ وافِرٌ جَزيلُ

And whose generosity overflows

When gifts are few, munificent and plentiful

إِلَيهِ إِن جارَتِ اللَيالي

نَأوي وَفي ظِلِّهِ نَقيلُ

To You I flee when nights are long

And in Your shade find restful sleep

إِنَّ كُمَيتي العَتيقَ سِنّاً

لَهُ حَديثٌ مَعي طَويلُ

My old camel, worn by many years

Has long tales to tell me in his keep

كانَ شِرايَ لَهُ فَضولاً

فَاِعجَب لِما يَجلِبُ الفُضولُ

I thought to make of him a gift

But gifts can often trouble bring

ظَنَنتُهُ حامِلاً لِرَحلي

فَخابَ ظَنّي فيهِ الجَميلُ

I hoped that he might bear my load

But failed me has my reckoning

وَلَم إِخَل لِلشَقاءِ أَنّي

لِثِقلِ أَعبائِهِ حَمولُ

I bear the burden of misfortune

Too heavy for this beast to haul

فَإِن أَكُن عالِياً عَلَيهِ

فَهوَ عَلى كاهِلي ثَقيلُ

If I'm too much for him to carry

He's far too much for me to stall

أَرحَلُ كَالبومِ لَيسَ فيهِ

خَيرٌ كَثيرٌ وَلا قَليلُ

Like a owl with neither good nor bad

No beauty and no cheerfulness

لَيسَ لَهُ مَخبَرٌ حَميدٌ

وَلا لَهُ مَنظَرٌ جَميلُ

A mule, slow yet greedy for all food

Not swift nor docile in his dullness

وَهوَ حَرونٌ وَفيهِ بُطءٌ

فَلا جَوادٌ وَلا ذَلولُ

Unimpressed by views along the way

No charm or beauty to beguile

لا كَفَلٌ مُعجِبٌ لِراءٍ

إِذا رَآهُ وَلا تَليلُ

Lazy when walking yet most eager

If dinner's served, he'll walk a mile

مُقَصِّرٌ إِن مَشى وَلَكِن

إِن حَضَرَ الأَكلُ مُستَطيلُ

He loves the hay, unwashed barley

Bran and beans are his great thrill

يُعجِبُهُ التِبنُ وَالشَعيرُ ال

مَغسولُ وَالقَتُّ وَالقَصيلُ

Seeing leftovers, he will drool

Until gravy his mouth does fill

فَإِن رَأى عِكرِشاً رَأَيتَ ال

لُعابَ مِن فَكِّهِ يَسيلُ

He's good for nothing, only eating

So grant him, sir, what you can spare

وَلَيسَ فيهِ مِنَ المَعاني

شَيءٌ سِوى أَنَّهُ أَكولُ

And gift him something you allow

For to him, even little is fair

فَهَب لَهُ أَنتَ ما تَسَنّى

وَهَبهُ مِن بَعضِ ما تُنيلُ

Do not say this camel is too little

For the small to him is dear

وَلا تَقُل إِنَّ ذا قَليلٌ

فَالجِلُّ في عَينِهِ جَليلُ