يا مَعشَرَ الناسِ حالي بَينَكُم عَجَبٌ

يا مَعشَرَ الناسِ حالي بَينَكُم عَجَبٌ

وَلَيسَ لي بَينَكُم يا قَومُ أَنصارُ

وَلَيسَ لي بَينَكُم يا قَومُ أَنصارُ

O people, my plight among you is a wonder,

O people, my situation among you is strange

And I have no supporters among you, O folk.

And I have no supporters among you, O people

هَذا اِبنُ كامِل قَد أَودَعتُهُ ذَهباً

هَذا اِبنُ كامِل قَد أَودَعتُهُ ذَهباً

صُيّابَةً ما لَها في العَينِ مِقدارُ

صُيّابَةً ما لَها في العَينِ مِقدارُ

This Ibn Kamil—I entrusted him with gold,

This is the son of Kamil, I had entrusted gold to him

A little nugget, scarcely noticeable to the eye.

A necklace that has no match in the eye

وَجِئتُ أَطلُبُها مِنهُ وَقَد عرَضَت

وَجِئتُ أَطلُبُها مِنهُ وَقَد عرَضَت

في السوقِ مِنّي لُباناتٍ وَأَوطارُ

في السوقِ مِنّي لُباناتٍ وَأَوطارُ

And I came to ask him for it, as there had arisen

And I came to ask him for it, and he denied

In the market needs and desires of mine.

In the market, that I gave him incenses and goods

فَقامَ يَنفُضُ كميهِ وَيَنظُرُ في

فَقامَ يَنفُضُ كميهِ وَيَنظُرُ في

صُندوقِهِ وَيُنادي جَرَّها الفارُ

صُندوقِهِ وَيُنادي جَرَّها الفارُ

So he rose, shaking out his sleeves and looking into

So he stood shaking his sleeve and looking in

His chest, calling out, “The mouse dragged it away!”

His box, and shouting "The mice have dragged it away"

فَقُلتُ لا شَبَّ قَرنُ الفارِ كَم أَكَلوا

فَقُلتُ لا شَبَّ قَرنُ الفارِ كَم أَكَلوا

مالَ اليَتامى وَكَم جَرُّوا وَكَم جاروا

مالَ اليَتامى وَكَم جَرُّوا وَكَم جاروا

So I said, “May the mouse’s horn never grow! How much they have devoured

I said no, the mice's horns, how much they have eaten

Of orphans’ wealth! How much they have dragged away, and how unjustly they have acted!”

The orphans' money, and how much they have dragged and stolen