لَمّا رَأى الجامِعُ أَموالَهُ

لَمّا رَأى الجامِعُ أَموالَهُ

مَأكولَةً ما بَينَ نُوّابِهِ

مَأكولَةً ما بَينَ نُوّابِهِ

When the congregational mosque saw its wealth

When the mosque overseer saw his wealth

devoured among its deputies,

Being eaten among his deputies

جُنَّ فَمِن خَوفٍ عَلَيهِ غَدا

جُنَّ فَمِن خَوفٍ عَلَيهِ غَدا

مُسلسلاً مِن كُلِّ أَبوابِهِ

مُسلسلاً مِن كُلِّ أَبوابِهِ

it went mad; so, out of fear for it, it became

He was possessed with fear for it and so

chained at all its doors.

Became epileptic at all its doors

وَكَيفَ لا تَعتادُهُ جِنَّةٌ

وَكَيفَ لا تَعتادُهُ جِنَّةٌ

وَقَد رَأى المَسخَ لِأَربابِهِ

وَقَد رَأى المَسخَ لِأَربابِهِ

And how could madness not keep visiting it,

And how would madness not possess him

when it had seen its masters transformed?

When he had seen the disfigurement of its masters

القِردُ في شُبّاكِهِ حاكِمٌ

القِردُ في شُبّاكِهِ حاكِمٌ

وَالتَيسُ في قبَّةِ محرابِهِ

وَالتَيسُ في قبَّةِ محرابِهِ

The monkey is a judge at its latticed window,

The monkey sitting as ruler in its niche

and the billy goat is in the dome of its prayer niche.

And the goat in the dome of its prayer-niche