يا سَيِّداً سُؤدَدُهُ تَحتُ

يا سَيِّداً سُؤدَدُهُ تَحتُ

وَمَن لَنا مَن جودِهِ تَختُ

وَمَن لَنا مَن جودِهِ تَختُ

O master, whose eminence lies below—

O lord, whose eminence is below,

and whom have we, from whose bounty comes a throne?

and from whose generosity we have a throne,

حاليَ قَد أَفضَت إِلى ضيِقَةٍ

حاليَ قَد أَفضَت إِلى ضيِقَةٍ

يَعجَزُ عَنها الوَصفُ وَالنَعتُ

يَعجَزُ عَنها الوَصفُ وَالنَعتُ

My plight has brought me into such distress

my condition has indeed come to hardship

that description and portrayal are powerless before it.

that description and portrayal cannot convey.

وَلَم تُطاوِعْنيَ نَفسي عَلى

وَلَم تُطاوِعْنيَ نَفسي عَلى

شَكوايَ حَتّى مُنِعَ الدَستُ

شَكوايَ حَتّى مُنِعَ الدَستُ

Yet my soul would not consent to

And my soul would not consent to

my complaining, until the suit of clothes was denied me.

my complaint until the seat of honor was withheld.

فَاِنظُر بِعَينِ الجودِ مِنّي إِلى

فَاِنظُر بِعَينِ الجودِ مِنّي إِلى

مَن ما لَهُ فَوقٌ وَلا تَحتُ

مَن ما لَهُ فَوقٌ وَلا تَحتُ

So look upon me with generosity’s eye—

So look with the eye of generosity upon me,

upon one who owns neither an upper garment nor a lower.

one who has nothing above or below.