مثقفة جوفاء تحسب زانة

مثقفة جوفاء تحسب زانة

ولكنها لا زج فيها ولا نصل

ولكنها لا زج فيها ولا نصل

Straightened and hollow, it is taken for a lance,

A shallow intellectual posing as promiscuous

yet it has neither butt-spike nor spearhead.

Yet inside her is neither passion nor desire

تسدد نحو الطير وهو محلق

تسدد نحو الطير وهو محلق

وينفذ عنها للردى نحوه رسل

وينفذ عنها للردى نحوه رسل

It is aimed toward the bird as it soars,

She aims at the bird as it takes flight

and from it death's messengers go forth toward the bird.

But her messengers of debauchery fail to reach it

يطير إلى الطير الردى في ضميرها

يطير إلى الطير الردى في ضميرها

فتجري كما يجري وتعلو كما يعلو

فتجري كما يجري وتعلو كما يعلو

Within its heart, death flies toward the bird,

Debauchery flies to the bird in her conscience

so it moves as the bird moves, and rises as it rises.

So she acts as debauchery acts and rises as it rises

تقيد ما تنجو به فكأنه

تقيد ما تنجو به فكأنه

يمد اليه من بنادقها حبل

يمد اليه من بنادقها حبل

It binds the very means by which the bird escapes, as though

She restrains whatever she is saved by

a cord were stretched to the bird from its pellets.

As if it extends a rope to it from its guns