في قريتي كان فتى مجنون

في قريتي كان فتى مجنون

يضحك من أحواله المحزون

يضحك من أحواله المحزون

In my village there was a mad young man,

In my village there was a mad youth.

At whose antics the sorrowful man would laugh.

The sorrowful would laugh at his antics.

كأنه القرد إذا ما يطربُ

كأنه القرد إذا ما يطربُ

والأرنب الوحشيُّ حين يثبُ

والأرنب الوحشيُّ حين يثبُ

He was like a monkey when it grows merry,

He was like a monkey when it grew merry,

Or a wild rabbit when it leaps.

And a wild hare when it leapt.

فظنه قوم ولياً هادياً

فظنه قوم ولياً هادياً

يكتشف الغيب ويدني النائيا

يكتشف الغيب ويدني النائيا

Some people took him for a guiding saint,

Some people took him for a guiding saint,

Who could uncover the unseen and bring the distant near,

Who uncovered the unseen and brought the distant near,

ويعلم الواقع والمستقبلا

ويعلم الواقع والمستقبلا

فاتخذوه مرجعاً وموئلا

فاتخذوه مرجعاً وموئلا

And know the present and the future.

And knew the present and the future.

So they made him their authority and refuge.

So they made him their authority and refuge.

وما كفاهم طاعة لحكمه

وما كفاهم طاعة لحكمه

حتى دعوا من يلدون باسمه

حتى دعوا من يلدون باسمه

Nor was obedience to his judgment enough for them:

Nor was obedience to his judgment enough for them;

They even named the children they bore after him.

They even named their newborns after him.

يعطيه كل منهم إن نذرا

يعطيه كل منهم إن نذرا

له جميع ما اقتنى وادخرا

له جميع ما اقتنى وادخرا

Each one, if he made a vow to him, would give him

Each of them, if he made a vow, would give him

Everything he had acquired and stored away.

All that he had acquired and saved.

وناب للقوم بعيراً مرضُ

وناب للقوم بعيراً مرضُ

فأسرعوا إلى الفتى وركضوا

فأسرعوا إلى الفتى وركضوا

Then illness befell a camel belonging to the people,

And illness struck a camel belonging to the people.

So they hurried to the young man at a run.

So they hurried to the youth at a run.

فأحضروه ورجوا أن يدركه

فأحضروه ورجوا أن يدركه

بسره وروحه والبركه

بسره وروحه والبركه

They brought him to it, hoping he might attend to it

So they brought him and hoped he would rescue it

Through his mystic power, his spirit, and his blessing.

Through his secret power, his spirit, and blessing.

فطاف بالبعير ثم صاحا

فطاف بالبعير ثم صاحا

هاتوا له الجزار والسلاحا

هاتوا له الجزار والسلاحا

He circled the camel, then cried out,

So he circled the camel, then cried out:

“Bring it the butcher and the weapon!”

"Bring the butcher and the weapon for it!"

فأوسعوه بالعصيِّ ضرباً

فأوسعوه بالعصيِّ ضرباً

وأشبعوه حسرة وكربا

وأشبعوه حسرة وكربا

So they gave him a thorough beating with sticks

So they beat him soundly with sticks,

And filled him with regret and anguish.

And filled him with regret and anguish.

لا يقبل النصح من النبيه

لا يقبل النصح من النبيه

فكيف بالمخبول والمعتوه

فكيف بالمخبول والمعتوه

Counsel from the discerning goes unheeded—

Advice is not accepted from the discerning;

What, then, of the crazed and feebleminded?

So how could it be accepted from the deranged and the witless?

وقد يهان ذو الحجى إن ذكرا

وقد يهان ذو الحجى إن ذكرا

فكيف بالجاهل حين أنذرا

فكيف بالجاهل حين أنذرا

A person of wisdom may be humiliated when he admonishes;

And a man of reason may be insulted if he admonishes;

What, then, of an ignorant man when he warns?

So what of the ignorant man when he warns?

هذا وعندي أن من تعلقا

هذا وعندي أن من تعلقا

بمثل ذا الأحمق كان أحمقا

بمثل ذا الأحمق كان أحمقا

This said, I believe that whoever clings

That said, I believe that whoever attached himself

To a fool like this is himself a fool.

To a fool like this was himself a fool.