لِسَعيدٍ شَوَيهَةٌ

لِسَعيدٍ شَوَيهَةٌ

نالَها الضُرُّ وَالعَجَف

نالَها الضُرُّ وَالعَجَف

Saʿīd has a little ewe,

A little misery for Sa'id,

afflicted by suffering and emaciation.

Brought by hardship and distress.

فَتَغَنَّت وَأَبصَرَت

فَتَغَنَّت وَأَبصَرَت

رَجُلاً حامِلاً عَلَف

رَجُلاً حامِلاً عَلَف

So she sang and caught sight of

She sang and saw,

a man carrying fodder:

A man carrying fodder.

بِأَبي مَن بِكَفِّهِ

بِأَبي مَن بِكَفِّهِ

بُرءُ دائي مِنَ الدَنَف

بُرءُ دائي مِنَ الدَنَف

“May my father be a ransom for him whose hand holds

By He who in His palm,

the cure for my wasting sickness!”

Lies the cure for my sickness and grief.

فَأَتاها مُطَمِّعاً

فَأَتاها مُطَمِّعاً

وَأَتَتهُ لِتَعتَلِف

وَأَتَتهُ لِتَعتَلِف

So he came to her, raising her hopes,

He approached her greedily,

and she came to him to eat fodder.

And she came to be dependent.

ثُمَّ وَلّى فَأَقبَلَت

ثُمَّ وَلّى فَأَقبَلَت

تَتَغَنّى مِنَ الأَسَف

تَتَغَنّى مِنَ الأَسَف

Then he turned away, so she began

Then he turned away, so she returned,

to sing out of sorrow:

Singing in sorrow.

لَيتَهُ لَم يَكُن وَقَف

لَيتَهُ لَم يَكُن وَقَف

عَذَّبَ القَلبَ وَاِنصَرَف

عَذَّبَ القَلبَ وَاِنصَرَف

“If only he had not stopped!

If only he had not stood,

He tormented the heart and departed.”

Tormenting the heart, then left.