لَو التَقى عيسى بِعيسى لما

لَو التَقى عيسى بِعيسى لما

كانَ لَهُ مِن مالِهِ بَختُ

كانَ لَهُ مِن مالِهِ بَختُ

If Isa were to meet Isa, he would not

If Jesus met Jesus, he would not

have any good fortune from his wealth.

Have any luck with his money

وَغْدٌ مِنَ الزُطِّ إِذا ما بَدا

وَغْدٌ مِنَ الزُطِّ إِذا ما بَدا

رَأَيتُهُ مِن خِسَّةٍ تَحتُ

رَأَيتُهُ مِن خِسَّةٍ تَحتُ

A wretch of the Zutt—whenever he appears,

And tomorrow the insincere one, when he appears

I see him sunk low through baseness.

I see him as the lowest of the low

يَقولُ لِلقاصِدِ لا تَسأَلَن

يَقولُ لِلقاصِدِ لا تَسأَلَن

فَإِنَّهُ قَد مُنِعَ الدَستُ

فَإِنَّهُ قَد مُنِعَ الدَستُ

He tells the petitioner, “Do not ask,

He says to one with a request, do not ask

for the dast has been withheld.

For it has been forbidden, the giving of gifts

حالِيَ قَد أَفضَت إِلى ضيقَةٍ

حالِيَ قَد أَفضَت إِلى ضيقَةٍ

يَعجَزُ عَن إِدراكِها النَعتُ

يَعجَزُ عَن إِدراكِها النَعتُ

My condition has come to such distress

My state has come to dire straits

that description cannot encompass it.”

That descriptions fall short of reaching

صَيَّرَهُ اللَهُ كَذا عاجِلاً

صَيَّرَهُ اللَهُ كَذا عاجِلاً

لَيسَ لَهُ فَوقٌ وَلا تَحتُ

لَيسَ لَهُ فَوقٌ وَلا تَحتُ

May God make him so, and soon,

God has made him this way, hastened

with nothing above and nothing below.

He has neither above nor below