أصبح ذا والد وذا ولدِ

أصبح ذا والد وذا ولدِ

من بعدما كان بيْضَة البلدِ

من بعدما كان بيْضَة البلدِ

He has come to have a father and a son,

He who was once an egg now has a father and son

after being the town’s lone, abandoned egg.

After having been an egg of the country

لما ادعى والداً فجاز له

لما ادعى والداً فجاز له

تطلَّعتْ نفسُه إلى ولدِ

تطلَّعتْ نفسُه إلى ولدِ

When he claimed a father and the claim was accepted,

When he claimed to be a father it was granted to him

his soul yearned for a son.

His soul then longed for a son

ولم يكن خالدٌ وهمتُه

ولم يكن خالدٌ وهمتُه

تلك ليرضَى بدعوةٍ فَقَدِ

تلك ليرضَى بدعوةٍ فَقَدِ

Nor was Khalid, his ambition

Khalid's ambition was not just

being such, one to settle for a single claim,

To be satisfied with a claim that he had lost

حتى تراه العيونُ تَكْنفُهُ

حتى تراه العيونُ تَكْنفُهُ

ثنْتان كالعقدتين في مَسَدِ

ثنْتان كالعقدتين في مَسَدِ

until eyes could see him flanked by

Until eyes see him surrounded

two claims, like two knots in a twisted rope.

By two like pearls on a necklace

فلا تلوموه إن نفى شبهاً

فلا تلوموه إن نفى شبهاً

قد كان فيه بالواحد الصمدِ

قد كان فيه بالواحد الصمدِ

So do not blame him if he has cast off a resemblance

So do not blame him if he denies any resemblance

he once bore to the One, the Self-Sufficient.

To the One, the Eternal who has no equal

كان بلا والدٍ ولا ولد

كان بلا والدٍ ولا ولد

فرداً وحيداً فصار ذا عددِ

فرداً وحيداً فصار ذا عددِ

He was without a father or a son,

He who was without father or son

single and alone; then he came to have a number of kin.

Alone and singular became numerous