وَقائِلَةٍ مالي رَأَيتُكَ مُعدِماً

وَقائِلَةٍ مالي رَأَيتُكَ مُعدِماً

وَمِثلُكَ لا تَخشى الكَسادَ بِضائِعُه

وَمِثلُكَ لا تَخشى الكَسادَ بِضائِعُه

And a woman said, 'Why do I see you destitute,

A woman said, why have I seen you destitute,

when the wares of one like you need not fear going unsold?'

One like you does not fear ruin when his wealth is lost,

فَقُلتُ الَّذي كُنّا نَعيشُ بِفَضلِهِ

فَقُلتُ الَّذي كُنّا نَعيشُ بِفَضلِهِ

وَنَحنُ مَوالي جودِهِ وَصَنائِعُه

وَنَحنُ مَوالي جودِهِ وَصَنائِعُه

I replied, 'The one by whose bounty we lived—

I said, he whom we used to live by his generosity,

we, the dependents of his generosity and his beneficiaries—

And we are loyal to his bounty and gifts,

رَمَتهُ اللَيالي عَن ذَخائِرِ مالِهِ

رَمَتهُ اللَيالي عَن ذَخائِرِ مالِهِ

بِفادِحِ خَطبٍ مُسلَمٍ مَن يُقارِعُه

بِفادِحِ خَطبٍ مُسلَمٍ مَن يُقارِعُه

has been cast by the nights away from his hoarded wealth

The nights have deprived him of the treasures of his money,

by a crushing calamity whose challenger is left helpless.

With grave misfortunes, who can confront him,

فَلا تَعجَبي مِن سوءٍ حالي فَإِنَّهُ

فَلا تَعجَبي مِن سوءٍ حالي فَإِنَّهُ

إِذا غاضَ ماءُ البَحرِ ماتَت ضَفادِعُه

إِذا غاضَ ماءُ البَحرِ ماتَت ضَفادِعُه

So do not marvel at my sorry condition, for

So do not wonder at my bad state, for when

when the sea's water recedes, its frogs die.'

The sea water recedes, its frogs die.