أَخا الوِدادِ أَعنى في مُكابَدَتي

أَخا الوِدادِ أَعنى في مُكابَدَتي

أَمرُ الفَلاحَةِ ما أَشقى وَأَوحَلَهُ

أَمرُ الفَلاحَةِ ما أَشقى وَأَوحَلَهُ

O brother in friendship, help me in my suffering;

O brotherly affection, help me endure

The business of farming—how wretched and mire-bound it is!

The toil of farming, how miserable and muddy it is

قَد جاءَني الكَشفُ هَذا العامُ مُحتَوِياً

قَد جاءَني الكَشفُ هَذا العامُ مُحتَوِياً

سَبعينَ أَلفاً أَرى في الرَقَمِ جَملَهُ

سَبعينَ أَلفاً أَرى في الرَقَمِ جَملَهُ

The account statement came to me this year, containing

The harvest report has come this year

Seventy thousand—I see its camel in the figure.

Showing seventy thousand, a number that astounds

وَكَم فَرِحتُ وَقُلتُ القُطنَ مِنهُ وَفا

وَكَم فَرِحتُ وَقُلتُ القُطنَ مِنهُ وَفا

إِذا بِالغَوا فيهِ وَاِستَعلوا مَحصَلَهُ

إِذا بِالغَوا فيهِ وَاِستَعلوا مَحصَلَهُ

And how I rejoiced, saying, “The cotton from it has sufficed!”

How glad I was, thinking the cotton would suffice

Then they exaggerated it and overestimated its proceeds.

But they exaggerated it and inflated its yield

فَراحَ نَقبي عَلى شَونٍ وَيا أَسَفي

فَراحَ نَقبي عَلى شَونٍ وَيا أَسَفي

لا القَطنُ وَفى وَلا الفَلّاحُ كَملَهُ

لا القَطنُ وَفى وَلا الفَلّاحُ كَملَهُ

So my digging led to granaries—alas for me!

So my anxiety grew in vain, oh what a pity

Neither did the cotton suffice, nor did the farmer make up the rest.

Neither did the cotton suffice, nor did the farmer fulfill it

حَتّى أَراني كَصَرّافِ البِلادِ فَكَم

حَتّى أَراني كَصَرّافِ البِلادِ فَكَم

يَعُدَّ بِالأَلفِ وَالحَصرِ المَهادِ لَهُ

يَعُدَّ بِالأَلفِ وَالحَصرِ المَهادِ لَهُ

Until I see myself like the country's cashier—how often

Until I saw myself like the town’s money changer, so much

He counts by the thousand, while mats are his bedding!

Does he count with thousands and the pillow as his bed