أَيَا سَيّدَ الوُزَرَاءِ اسْتَمِعْ

أَيَا سَيّدَ الوُزَرَاءِ اسْتَمِعْ

لِقِصَّةِ شَكْوَايَ وَانظُرْ مَا بي

لِقِصَّةِ شَكْوَايَ وَانظُرْ مَا بي

O lord of the ministers, listen

O minister supreme, hear my tale of woe,

to the tale of my complaint, and see what ails me.

See what has befallen me, beyond all I know.

فَراتِبُ عَبْدِكَ في أَمْرِهِ

فَراتِبُ عَبْدِكَ في أَمْرِهِ

جَرَى فِيه مَا لا جَرَى في حِسَابي

جَرَى فِيه مَا لا جَرَى في حِسَابي

For, in the matter of your servant's stipend,

My servant's allowance is in a terrible state,

something befell it that I had never reckoned on.

Things have occurred that I could not anticipate.

وَكانَ رَسُولي بِخَطِّ الوَزِيرِ

وَكانَ رَسُولي بِخَطِّ الوَزِيرِ

يُوَجَّهُ مُلْتَمساً لِلجَوابِ

يُوَجَّهُ مُلْتَمساً لِلجَوابِ

And my messenger, bearing the minister's writing,

My messenger came with your official decree,

was sent out seeking a reply.

Seeking response, as instructed by thee.

فَوَاللّهِ مَا آمَنُوا بِالرَّسُولِ

فَوَاللّهِ مَا آمَنُوا بِالرَّسُولِ

وَتَاللّهِ مَا صَدَّقُوا بِالكِتابِ

وَتَاللّهِ مَا صَدَّقُوا بِالكِتابِ

So, by God, they did not believe in the messenger,

By God! they did not trust the messenger,

and by God, they gave no credence to the letter.

By God! nor believed the letter sincere.