أحسن ما كان الدقيق موقعا

أحسن ما كان الدقيق موقعا

من رجل أفلس حتى أدقعا

من رجل أفلس حتى أدقعا

Flour is never more welcome

The finest thing was when the flour was placed

To a man gone bankrupt, reduced to utter destitution,

By a man made bankrupt till he became worn out

إذا أتى يسعى حثيثاً مسرعا

إذا أتى يسعى حثيثاً مسرعا

من بعد ما مس الغلاء الأشنعا

من بعد ما مس الغلاء الأشنعا

Than when it comes hastening, urgently and swiftly,

When he comes hustling hastily speeding

After its price has grown most appallingly high,

After the dire high cost of living had affected him

ولحق السبعين أو ترفَّعا

ولحق السبعين أو ترفَّعا

عن ذاك لا يرحم من تضرعا

عن ذاك لا يرحم من تضرعا

And reached seventy, or risen

And reached seventy or became haughty

Above that, showing no mercy to those who plead;

About that, he does not pity whoever implores

ومد ذو العيلة فيه الإصبعا

ومد ذو العيلة فيه الإصبعا

يشكو إلى الله ويمري المدمعا

يشكو إلى الله ويمري المدمعا

And the man in want has pointed his finger at it,

And the family man stretched out his finger in it

Complaining to God and milking his tear-duct;

Complaining to God and shedding tears

وأصبح القوم البطانُ جُوَّعا

وأصبح القوم البطانُ جُوَّعا

وخشي الجائع أن لا يشبعا

وخشي الجائع أن لا يشبعا

And the full-bellied people have become famished,

And people became in the morning starved

And the hungry man fears he will not have his fill.

And the hungry feared they would not be satiated

يا من تناهى منظراً ومسمعا

يا من تناهى منظراً ومسمعا

جمال وجه وثناء أروعا

جمال وجه وثناء أروعا

O you, perfect to behold and to hear of—

O you whose appearance and hearing are perfect

In beauty of face and awe-inspiring praise—

Beauty of face and most eloquent praise

أفزعني الدهر فكن لي مفزعا

أفزعني الدهر فكن لي مفزعا

فكم تسمَّحتَ وكم تمنعا

فكم تسمَّحتَ وكم تمنعا

Time has terrified me; so be my refuge.

Time has frightened me, so be a refuge for me

For how often you have been generous, and how often it has withheld;

How often you were clement, and how often you forbade

وكم تحسنت وكم تشنَّعا

وكم تحسنت وكم تشنَّعا

ولم يزل فضلك فيه مرتعا

ولم يزل فضلك فيه مرتعا

And how often you have been gracious, and how often it has been hideous.

And how often you were kind, and how often you were harsh

And amid it, your bounty has remained a pasture,

Yet your grace in it remained a pasture

للمقحطين الممحلين ممرعا

للمقحطين الممحلين ممرعا

وكُبرُ ظني أن تقول مسمعا

وكُبرُ ظني أن تقول مسمعا

Lush for those stricken by famine and drought.

For the impoverished and displaced, a refuge

And my firm expectation is that you will say aloud:

And my great hopes that you would hear

لبيك لبيك لعاً ودَعْدَعا

لبيك لبيك لعاً ودَعْدَعا

بُدِّلت من بؤسك عيشاً خروعا

بُدِّلت من بؤسك عيشاً خروعا

“At your service, at your service—may you rise again and regain your footing!

I am at your service, at your service, alive and well

In place of your misery you have been given a life of ease,

Your misery was changed into comfortable living

يشهد أني حافظٌ من ضيَّعا

يشهد أني حافظٌ من ضيَّعا

Attesting that I protect those whom Time has forsaken.”

Witnessing that I am a preserver, not one who wasted