قَبِلْتُ على الكُرهِ نَيلَ البخيلِ

قَبِلْتُ على الكُرهِ نَيلَ البخيلِ

وقُلتُ قليلٌ أتَى من قليلِ

وقُلتُ قليلٌ أتَى من قليلِ

I reluctantly accepted the miser’s gift,

I kissed the hand of the miser to get a little from the little he had

And said, “A little has come from a paltry man.”

And I said, a little came from a little

تعجَّبتُ لمّا ابتدا بالجميلِ

تعجَّبتُ لمّا ابتدا بالجميلِ

وما كانَ يعرِفُ فِعلَ الجَميلِ

وما كانَ يعرِفُ فِعلَ الجَميلِ

I marveled when he began with kindness,

I was surprised when he started with kindness

Though he did not know how to do a kindness.

And he did not know how to do kindness

وأطلعَ لي كوكباً كالسُّها

وأطلعَ لي كوكباً كالسُّها

قليلَ الضيِّاء سريعَ الأُفولِ

قليلَ الضيِّاء سريعَ الأُفولِ

And he made a star rise for me, like al-Suha,

And he showed me a star like Suhail

Faint in light and quick to set.

With little brightness and quick to set

وما كانَ إِعطاؤه سُؤدُداً

وما كانَ إِعطاؤه سُؤدُداً

ولكنَّها غَلطةٌ من بَخيلِ

ولكنَّها غَلطةٌ من بَخيلِ

And his giving was no act of nobility,

And his giving was not habitual

But it was a miser’s mistake.

But it was a mistake from the miser