ومنحوس يقال له سعيد

ومنحوس يقال له سعيد

له راس يلين له الحديدُ

له راس يلين له الحديدُ

And an unlucky man is called Sa'id.

A man deemed unlucky is called Sa'eed,

He has a head before which iron softens.

With a head softer than iron itself,

إذا ما الجور جاز عليه يوما

إذا ما الجور جاز عليه يوما

تكسر وهو ذو عقد شديدُ

تكسر وهو ذو عقد شديدُ

If injustice passed over it one day,

When injustice weighs on him one day,

It would shatter, though its binding is strong.

He breaks, though his pact be rock-solid,

فصدر غلام داود مكوى

فصدر غلام داود مكوى

وفي قلب الكيِّ منه دودُ

وفي قلب الكيِّ منه دودُ

So the chest of Dawud's boy is cauterized,

Thus is the breast of David's boy ever bruised,

And within his cautery wound are worms.

And in the Misers' hearts for him only hate breeds,

تمسخر وسط آب ذات يوم

تمسخر وسط آب ذات يوم

فآب البرد وانهار الجليدُ

فآب البرد وانهار الجليدُ

One day he clowned around in mid-August;

He who was mocked amid river spray one day,

So the cold returned, and the ice collapsed.

With cold pouring down as glaciers did recede,

يليق بكفه قدح وسير

يليق بكفه قدح وسير

وتعشق ساقه العبل القيود

وتعشق ساقه العبل القيود

A cup and a strap suit his palm,

To his palm a goblet and horseback ride fit,

And fetters are enamored of his stout leg.

And his legs have love for shackles as their meet.