أَنا اِبنُ الخالِدينَ إِذا تَلاقى

أَنا اِبنُ الخالِدينَ إِذا تَلاقى

مِنَ الأَيّامِ يَوم ذو ضَجاجِ

مِنَ الأَيّامِ يَوم ذو ضَجاجِ

I am the son of the Khalids, when there comes

I am the son of immortals when days

Among the days a day of clamour,

Of clamor meet, as though in it

كَأَنَّ اللَّعْبَ وَالخُطَباءَ فيهِ

كَأَنَّ اللَّعْبَ وَالخُطَباءَ فيهِ

قَسِيُّ مُثقفٍ ذاتَ اِعوِجاجِ

قَسِيُّ مُثقفٍ ذاتَ اِعوِجاجِ

As though the play and the orators within it

Play and orators were

Were a bow-shaper’s bows, curved and bent.

A harsh highbrow full of twistings