قالوا احتجبْتَ ولا عجَبْ

قالوا احتجبْتَ ولا عجَبْ

مَنْ طاولَ النّجْمَ احتجَبْ

مَنْ طاولَ النّجْمَ احتجَبْ

They said, “You have withdrawn from sight”—and no wonder:

They said you secluded yourself, and no wonder

Whoever rivals the stars in height is hidden from view.

Whoever reached for the stars secluded himself

سحبَ الوشاةُ ذيولَهُم

سحبَ الوشاةُ ذيولَهُم

وجرَرْتَ أذيالَ السُحُبْ

وجرَرْتَ أذيالَ السُحُبْ

The slanderers dragged their hems,

The slanderers dragged their tails

and you dragged the hems of the clouds.

And you dragged the tails of clouds

أملٌ تنفّسَ طولُه

أملٌ تنفّسَ طولُه

فكأنّه ليلُ المحِب

فكأنّه ليلُ المحِب

A hope whose span has lengthened—

A hope whose long breath

so it is like a lover’s night.

Was as if it were a lover's night

لا يوحشنّكَ إن عُجِرْ

لا يوحشنّكَ إن عُجِرْ

تَ فرُبّ محبوسٍ مُحَبْ

تَ فرُبّ محبوسٍ مُحَبْ

Let it not dismay you if you are confined;

Don't be saddened if you're blamed

for many a captive is beloved.

For many a confined lover is blamed

فالسهمُ لو لم ينجُ منْ

فالسهمُ لو لم ينجُ منْ

شرَكِ الحنيّة لم يُصِبْ

شرَكِ الحنيّة لم يُصِبْ

For the arrow, if it did not escape from

If the arrow had not escaped

the bow’s snare, would not hit its mark.

The snares of ill wishes it would not have hit

والرُمْحُ أقربُ ما يكو

والرُمْحُ أقربُ ما يكو

نُ من السّدادِ إذا اضطربْ

نُ من السّدادِ إذا اضطربْ

And the spear is as close as it can be

And the spear is closest to correctness

to true aim when it quivers.

When it is unsettled