مثقفة جوفاء تحسب زانة

مثقفة جوفاء تحسب زانة

ولكنها لا زج فيها ولا نصل

ولكنها لا زج فيها ولا نصل

A straightened, hollow shaft—you would take it for a lance;

A straightened, hollow shaft, taken for a spear,

yet it bears neither butt-spike nor blade.

Yet it has neither butt-spike nor spearhead.

تسدد نحو الطير وهو محلق

تسدد نحو الطير وهو محلق

وينفذ عنها للردى نحوه رسل

وينفذ عنها للردى نحوه رسل

It is leveled at the bird while the bird soars,

It is aimed toward the bird while it soars,

and from it, toward him, issue death’s messengers.

And messengers of death issue from it toward the bird.

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 hidden heart, doom flies toward the bird;

Within its heart, death flies toward the bird;

so it moves as he moves, and rises as he rises.

So it moves as the bird moves, 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 fetters the means by which he might escape, as though

It fetters the bird’s means of escape, as though

a cord were stretched to him from its pellets.

A cord from its pellets were stretched out to the bird.