ما لحيتاننا جفتنا وأنَّى

ما لحيتاننا جفتنا وأنَّى

أخلفَ الزائرونَ مُنتظريهِمْ

أخلفَ الزائرونَ مُنتظريهِمْ

What ails our fish, that they have shunned us? And how

Our whales have left us, when will

have the visitors disappointed those awaiting them?

The visitors return to those awaiting them?

قد أزحنا اعتلالهم وجَعَلنا

قد أزحنا اعتلالهم وجَعَلنا

سَبْتهم جمعةً فما يُشكيهِمْ

سَبْتهم جمعةً فما يُشكيهِمْ

We have removed their excuses and made

We have relieved their discomfort and made

their Sabbath a Friday—what have they to complain of?

Their absence into a weekend, so why complain?

جاء في السبت زَوْرُهم فأتينا

جاء في السبت زَوْرُهم فأتينا

من حفاظٍ عليه ما يكفيهِمْ

من حفاظٍ عليه ما يكفيهِمْ

Their visit fell on the Sabbath, so we showed

They came on Saturday, so we

enough regard for it to satisfy them.

Protected them as best we could.

وجَعَلناه يومَ عيدٍ عظيم

وجَعَلناه يومَ عيدٍ عظيم

فكأنا اليهودُ أو نحكيهِمْ

فكأنا اليهودُ أو نحكيهِمْ

And we made it a day of great celebration,

And we made it a great feast day,

as though we were Jews, or were imitating them.

As if we were Jews or told their tales.

واحتملنا مقالة الناسِ فينا

واحتملنا مقالة الناسِ فينا

ولَهم كلُّ ما احتملنا وفيهِمْ

ولَهم كلُّ ما احتملنا وفيهِمْ

We endured what people said of us,

We endured people's talk about us

all we endured being for their sake and on their account.

And bore all that we endured and their absence.

وأراهمُ مُصَممّينَ على الهج

وأراهمُ مُصَممّينَ على الهج

رِ فلِمْ يُسخطونَ من يُرضيهِمْ

رِ فلِمْ يُسخطونَ من يُرضيهِمْ

Yet I see them resolved on estrangement;

And I see them determined on estrangement -

why do they anger one who pleases them?

Why are they angered by one who pleases them?

قُل لهم يُعتبونَنا أيها الحُرْ

قُل لهم يُعتبونَنا أيها الحُرْ

رُ ويُولوننا كما نُوليهِمْ

رُ ويُولوننا كما نُوليهِمْ

Tell them, noble sir, to make amends to us

Tell them, O free man, they blame us

and to favor us as we favor them.

And reject us as we reject them.

أو يقولونَ لا نجيئُك مَجَّا

أو يقولونَ لا نجيئُك مَجَّا

ناً فنرتادُ كافياً يشتريهِمْ

ناً فنرتادُ كافياً يشتريهِمْ

Or let them say, "We will not come to you for free,"

Or they say, we will not come visiting you,

so we may seek a provider to buy them.

So we frequent a merchant who will buy them.

ليس شيء سوى الوفاءِ أو التص

ليس شيء سوى الوفاءِ أو التص

ريح بالعذر فاعلمَنْ ينجيهِمْ

ريح بالعذر فاعلمَنْ ينجيهِمْ

Nothing but keeping faith or a frank

Nothing but loyalty or an apology

statement of their excuse—know this—can save them.

In excuse will save them, let them know.

قد سَبتْنا وإنما كان قومٌ

قد سَبتْنا وإنما كان قومٌ

يومَ لا يَسبتون لا يأتيهِمْ

يومَ لا يَسبتون لا يأتيهِمْ

We have indeed kept the Sabbath; yet there once was a people

We have left them, yet there were people

whom they failed to visit only on days they did not keep it.

One day who did not leave and did not come to them.