هَيهاتَ تَضرِبُ في حَديدٍ بارِدٍ

هَيهاتَ تَضرِبُ في حَديدٍ بارِدٍ

إِن كَنتَ تَطمَعُ في نَوالِ سَعيدِ

إِن كَنتَ تَطمَعُ في نَوالِ سَعيدِ

In vain—you strike at cold iron,

Alas! Do not strike cold iron

Far from it! You are hammering on cold iron,

if you hope for Sa'id's bounty.

If you aspire to fortune’s favor.

If you covet the bounty of Said.

وَاللَه لَو مَلَكَ البَحارَ بِأَسرِها

وَاللَه لَو مَلَكَ البَحارَ بِأَسرِها

وَأَتاهُ مسلم في زَمانٍ مَدودِ

وَأَتاهُ مسلم في زَمانٍ مَدودِ

By God, if he owned all the seas,

By Allah, if he owned all the seas outright

By God, were he to possess the seas in their entirety,

and a Muslim came to him at a time described as “madūd” (unclear),

And a Muslim came in time of dearth

And a Muslim came to him in the fullness of time,

يَبغيهِ مِنها شَربَةً لَطَهورِهِ

يَبغيهِ مِنها شَربَةً لَطَهورِهِ

لِأَبي وَقالَ تَيَمَّمنَ بَصَعيدِ

لِأَبي وَقالَ تَيَمَّمنَ بَصَعيدِ

asking him for a draught from them for his ritual purification,

Seeking a draft for his ablution

Seeking from them a mere draught for his ablution,

he would refuse and say, “Perform dry ablution with earth.”

“My father!” he’d have cried, “Make do with sand!”

He would refuse, saying: "Purify yourself with dust."