قِصَّتي قد أتتْ إماماً هُمامَا

قِصَّتي قد أتتْ إماماً هُمامَا

تشْتكي الظُّلْمَ حين صرتُ مُضامَا

تشْتكي الظُّلْمَ حين صرتُ مُضامَا

My case has reached a valiant imam,

My story has come before an honorable judge

complaining of injustice, now that I have been wronged.

Complaining of injustice when I was wronged

رُقعةٌ في يدِ المَلِيك طَواهَا

رُقعةٌ في يدِ المَلِيك طَواهَا

ليَراها المليكُ في العزِّ دَامَا

ليَراها المليكُ في العزِّ دَامَا

A petition in the king's hand—he folded it,

A document in the king's hand he folded

for the king to see it—may he endure in glory.

For the king to see it, ever magnificent

أنا شَوَّالُك الفقيرُ الذي قد

أنا شَوَّالُك الفقيرُ الذي قد

خُصَّ بالعِيدِ والصَّلاةِ دَوَامَا

خُصَّ بالعِيدِ والصَّلاةِ دَوَامَا

I am your poor Shawwal, who has

I am your poor petitioner who has been

always been singled out for Eid and prayer.

Distinguished with celebration and prayer always

بعد شهرِ الصيامِ قد زُرْتُ قوماً

بعد شهرِ الصيامِ قد زُرْتُ قوماً

جائعاً أبْتغِي بهم إكْرامَا

جائعاً أبْتغِي بهم إكْرامَا

After the month of fasting, I visited some people,

After the fasting month I visited people

hungry, seeking hospitality among them.

Hungry, seeking their hospitality

ولِيَ العِيدُ حُلَّةٌ وهِلالِي

ولِيَ العِيدُ حُلَّةٌ وهِلالِي

لِيَ طَوقٌ من فوق جِيدٍ تَسامَى

لِيَ طَوقٌ من فوق جِيدٍ تَسامَى

And Eid is a robe for me, and my crescent

And I have for the Feast a gown and crescent

is a collar for me above a neck held high.

I have around my neck an ornament towering

رمضانُ اعْتدَى عليَّ وأمْسَى

رمضانُ اعْتدَى عليَّ وأمْسَى

غاضِباً ذاك لا يخافُ مَلامَا

غاضِباً ذاك لا يخافُ مَلامَا

Ramadan has wronged me and become

Ramadan transgressed against me and became

angry—that one fears no reproach.

Angry, fearing no blame

أخْتشِي ذَبْحَةً بنَصْلِ هِلالٍ

أخْتشِي ذَبْحَةً بنَصْلِ هِلالٍ

ثم سَلْخاً له وتَرْكِي المُقامَا

ثم سَلْخاً له وتَرْكِي المُقامَا

I fear slaughter by a crescent's blade,

I fear the slaughter with a crescent blade

then a flaying for him, and my leaving the abode.

Then skinning me and leaving me in place

لا تُضَيِّع حَقِّي بشاهدِ زُورٍ

لا تُضَيِّع حَقِّي بشاهدِ زُورٍ

هو أعْمَى بَصِيرةٍ أو تَعامَى

هو أعْمَى بَصِيرةٍ أو تَعامَى

Do not let my right be lost through a false witness:

Do not deny my right with a false witness

he is blind in discernment, or has feigned blindness.

He is blind in insight or pretending not to see

جَبْهةَ الشَّاهِدِ اكْوِهَا فهْو وَسْمٌ

جَبْهةَ الشَّاهِدِ اكْوِهَا فهْو وَسْمٌ

لِكَذُوبٍ عن زُورِهِ ما تَحامَى

لِكَذُوبٍ عن زُورِهِ ما تَحامَى

Brand the witness's forehead, for it is a mark

Strike the forehead of the witness, it's a brand

for a habitual liar who did not shun his falsehood.

Of a liar, from his lies he did not refrain

إن كَيَّ الخُسوفِ للشمسِ ظُلْمٌ

إن كَيَّ الخُسوفِ للشمسِ ظُلْمٌ

وكذا الدهرُ لم يزَلْ ظَلاَّمَا

وكذا الدهرُ لم يزَلْ ظَلاَّمَا

Indeed, the eclipse's branding of the sun is an injustice,

If the sun is eclipsed, it is injustice

and so too, Time has never ceased to be a tyrant.

And so is time, it has not ceased to be unjust