يا مَنْ يرى فضلِ الشِتا

يا مَنْ يرى فضلِ الشِتا

ءِ على المصيفِ كما تحكّمْ

ءِ على المصيفِ كما تحكّمْ

O you who see winter's superiority

O you who sees the virtue of winter over summer as you rule

over summer, as you decree:

That is not paradise to me,

ما ذاكَ عندي جنّةٌ

ما ذاكَ عندي جنّةٌ

فيكونُ ذا عندي جهنّمْ

فيكونُ ذا عندي جهنّمْ

To me, that is no paradise,

It would be hell to me

such that this should be hell to me.

Listen, they are two kings, each

اسْمَعْ هما مِلكان كلٌّ

اسْمَعْ هما مِلكان كلٌّ

في ولايتِه معظّمْ

في ولايتِه معظّمْ

Listen: they are two kings, each

Honored in his dominion

revered within his realm.

And each king among them

ولكلّ مَلْكٍ منهُما

ولكلّ مَلْكٍ منهُما

متسلّم يأتي مُقدّمْ

متسلّم يأتي مُقدّمْ

And each of these two kings has

Has a deputy who comes first

an officer who comes in advance.

Spring comes on behalf of summer

يأتي الربيعُ عن المصي

يأتي الربيعُ عن المصي

فِ وفضلُهُ ما أنتَ تعلَمْ

فِ وفضلُهُ ما أنتَ تعلَمْ

Spring comes on behalf of summer,

With virtues you know

and its excellence is known to you.

And you see autumn on behalf of winter

وترى الخريفَ عن الشتا

وترى الخريفَ عن الشتا

ءِ وليسَ يسلمُ من تسلّمْ

ءِ وليسَ يسلمُ من تسلّمْ

And you see autumn on behalf of winter,

And no deputy is safe from being deputized

and none he takes charge of escapes unharmed.

And the servant in his deeds

والعبدُ في أفعالهِ

والعبدُ في أفعالهِ

عن خُلْقِ سيّدِه يُترجِمْ

عن خُلْقِ سيّدِه يُترجِمْ

And the slave, in his actions,

Translates the manners of his Master

reveals his master's character.

The virtue of summer as you saw

فضلُ المصيفِ كما رأيْ

فضلُ المصيفِ كما رأيْ

تَ أقلُّ تكْليفاً وأرحَمْ

تَ أقلُّ تكْليفاً وأرحَمْ

Summer's superiority, as you have seen,

Is lighter in obligation and more merciful

lies in being less taxing and more merciful.