غَنّى فَأَبكى بِصَوتِهِ الفَرَنجا

غَنّى فَأَبكى بِصَوتِهِ الفَرَنجا

وَلَم يَزَل مُدبِرَ القَفا هَمَجا

وَلَم يَزَل مُدبِرَ القَفا هَمَجا

He sang, and with his voice made the Franks weep.

And he remained a boor, forever turning his back.

مُلهٍ أَتانا وَوَقتُنا حَسَنٌ

مُلهٍ أَتانا وَوَقتُنا حَسَنٌ

فَعادَ مَن حَسَّ عودِهِ سَمِجا

فَعادَ مَن حَسَّ عودِهِ سَمِجا

An entertainer came to us while our time was pleasant;

then it grew unpleasant at the sound of his lute.

وَكانَ مَحرورُ شُربِنا حَرِكاً

وَكانَ مَحرورُ شُربِنا حَرِكاً

فَحينَ وافاهُ بَردُهُ فُلجا

فَحينَ وافاهُ بَردُهُ فُلجا

The hot-blooded man in our drinking party was lively;

but when the singer’s chill reached him, he was paralyzed.

فَلَم نَزَل طولَ يَومِنا مَعَهُ

فَلَم نَزَل طولَ يَومِنا مَعَهُ

نَدخُلُ في رَأسِهِ إِذا خَرَجا

نَدخُلُ في رَأسِهِ إِذا خَرَجا

So all day long we continued with him,

getting into his head whenever he went out of tune.