يَا مَنْ أَنَامِلُهُ كَالْعَارِضِ السَّارِي

يَا مَنْ أَنَامِلُهُ كَالْعَارِضِ السَّارِي

وَفِعْلُهُ أَبَدَاً عَارٍ مِنْ العَارِ

وَفِعْلُهُ أَبَدَاً عَارٍ مِنْ العَارِ

O you whose fingertips are like a rain cloud drifting by night,

O one whose fingers are like the flowing clouds,

And whose conduct is forever free of shame.

Yet his deeds are ever shameful and disgraceful,

أَمَا تَرَى الثَّلْجَ قَدْ خَاطَتْ أَنَامِلُهُ

أَمَا تَرَى الثَّلْجَ قَدْ خَاطَتْ أَنَامِلُهُ

ثَوْبَاً يُزَرُّ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا بِأَزْرَارِ

ثَوْبَاً يُزَرُّ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا بِأَزْرَارِ

Do you not see the snow? Its fingertips have sewn

Do you not see how the snow has clothed his fingers,

A garment buttoned over the world with buttons.

In a garment that covers the world with buttons?

نَارٌ وَلَكِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِمُبْدِيَةٍ

نَارٌ وَلَكِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِمُبْدِيَةٍ

نُورَاً وَمَاءٌ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ بِالجَارِي

نُورَاً وَمَاءٌ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ بِالجَارِي

Fire, yet it does not give off

A fire yet not one that gives light,

Light; and water, yet it does not flow.

A light and water yet not flowing,

وَالرَّاحُ قَدْ أَعْوَزَتْنَا فِي صَبِيْحَتِنَا

وَالرَّاحُ قَدْ أَعْوَزَتْنَا فِي صَبِيْحَتِنَا

بَيْعَاً وَلَوْ وَزْنُ دِيْنَارٍ بِدِيْنَارِ

بَيْعَاً وَلَوْ وَزْنُ دِيْنَارٍ بِدِيْنَارِ

And this morning we have found no wine

The wind has left us destitute this morning,

To buy—not even a dinar's weight for a dinar.

Selling even a dinar's weight for a dinar,

فَجُدْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مِنْ رَاحٍ يَكُونُ لَنَا

فَجُدْ بِمَا شِئْتَ مِنْ رَاحٍ يَكُونُ لَنَا

نَارَاً فَإِنَّا بِلاَ رَاحٍ وَلاَ نَارِ

نَارَاً فَإِنَّا بِلاَ رَاحٍ وَلاَ نَارِ

So give freely whatever wine you wish, to serve us as

So bring us any wind that can be for us,

Fire, for we have neither wine nor fire.

A fire, for we have no wind or fire.