ضَيفُ البكَايِ إِذَا لَم يَكُن مَلَكَا

ضَيفُ البكَايِ إِذَا لَم يَكُن مَلَكَا

أو تَاجِراً فَاجِراً فَهبهُ قَد هَلَكَا

أو تَاجِراً فَاجِراً فَهبهُ قَد هَلَكَا

Al-Bakkay's guest, if he is not an angel,

The guest of weeping, if he is not an angel

Or a wicked merchant—consider him already dead.

Or a merchant gone astray, is surely doomed

فَمَا يُرَى مُوقِداً لِلنَّارِ يُسعِرُهَا

فَمَا يُرَى مُوقِداً لِلنَّارِ يُسعِرُهَا

يَوَّماً ولاَ فِي دُجَى لَيلٍ إِذَا حَلَكَا

يَوَّماً ولاَ فِي دُجَى لَيلٍ إِذَا حَلَكَا

For he is never seen lighting a fire, stoking it,

He is not seen kindling a fire to inflame it

By day, nor in the gloom of night when it grows pitch-dark.

By day or in the dark night when it settles

فَلاَ بَشَاشَةً وَجهٍ قَدرَ قَولَةِ لاَ

فَلاَ بَشَاشَةً وَجهٍ قَدرَ قَولَةِ لاَ

ولاَ جَوَابَ سؤَالٍ أينَمَا سَلَكَا

ولاَ جَوَابَ سؤَالٍ أينَمَا سَلَكَا

So no cheerful face, not even for the span of a 'no',

No cheerfulness of face, worth a mere saying

Nor an answer to a question, wherever he goes.

No answer to a question wherever he walked

فَكُلُّ ضَيفٍ أيَا بَكَّاىُ مِنكَ شَكَا

فَكُلُّ ضَيفٍ أيَا بَكَّاىُ مِنكَ شَكَا

وكُلُّ ذِى حَاجَةٍ مِنكَ اشتَكَى وبَكَى

وكُلُّ ذِى حَاجَةٍ مِنكَ اشتَكَى وبَكَى

For every guest, O Bakkay, has complained of you,

Every guest, oh weeper, complained of you

And everyone in need has complained of you and wept.

And everyone in need complained and wept of you