قَصُرَ العَيشُ بِأَكنافِ الغَضا

قَصُرَ العَيشُ بِأَكنافِ الغَضا

وَكَذا العَيشُ إِذا طابَ قَصُر

وَكَذا العَيشُ إِذا طابَ قَصُر

Life was brief amid the sheltering ghada trees;

Life was brief around the ghada trees,

and so is life: when it is sweet, it is brief,

And so is life: when sweet, it is brief.

في لَيالٍ كَأَباهيمِ القَطا

في لَيالٍ كَأَباهيمِ القَطا

لَستَ تَدري كَيفَ تَأتي وَتَمُر

لَستَ تَدري كَيفَ تَأتي وَتَمُر

through nights as short as a sandgrouse’s tiny hind toes—

In nights like the sandgrouse’s big toes,

you cannot tell how they come and pass.

You do not know how they come and pass.