وَلَمّا رَأى شَوّالُ جِسميَ ناحِلاً

وَلَمّا رَأى شَوّالُ جِسميَ ناحِلاً

تَوَهَّمَ أَنّي عاشِقٌ فَرَثى لي

تَوَهَّمَ أَنّي عاشِقٌ فَرَثى لي

And when Shawwal saw my body emaciated,

When Shawwal saw my thin body

he supposed I was in love, so he pitied me.

He imagined I was a lover, and lamented for me

فَقُلتُ لَهُ شَهرُ الصِيامِ أَلَمَّ بي

فَقُلتُ لَهُ شَهرُ الصِيامِ أَلَمَّ بي

فَبَدَّلَ مِنّي دَوحَةً بِخِلالِ

فَبَدَّلَ مِنّي دَوحَةً بِخِلالِ

So I told him, 'The month of fasting came upon me

So I told him the month of fasting had afflicted me

and turned me from a spreading tree into a toothpick.'

He then changed my condition with treats

فَقالَ سَتَغدو مِثلَ بَدري بِرُغمِهِ

فَقالَ سَتَغدو مِثلَ بَدري بِرُغمِهِ

فَلا تَجزَعَن أَن صِرتَ مِثلَ هِلالي

فَلا تَجزَعَن أَن صِرتَ مِثلَ هِلالي

He said, 'You will become like my full moon, in spite of him,

He said you will become again like my full moon despite its frown

so do not fret that you have become like my crescent.'

So do not despair that you have become like my crescent