ذاتُ شَوكٍ كَالحِرابِ أَو كَأَظفارِ العُقابِ

ذاتُ شَوكٍ كَالحِرابِ أَو كَأَظفارِ العُقابِ

رَبَضَت في الغابِ كَاللِصِّ لِفَتك وَاِستِلابِ

رَبَضَت في الغابِ كَاللِصِّ لِفَتك وَاِستِلابِ

With thorns like spears or an eagle's talons,

With thorns like swords or talons of an eagle

Possessor of thorns like spears, or like the talons of an eagle,

She crouched in the woods like a thief, intent on killing and plunder.

It lurked in the woods like a thief, to steal and plunder

Crouched in the thicket like a thief, intent on slaughter and plunder,

تَقطَعُ الدَرَبَ عَلى الفَلاح وَالمَولى المَهابِ

تَقطَعُ الدَرَبَ عَلى الفَلاح وَالمَولى المَهابِ

صُنتُ عَنها حُرَّ وَجهي فَتَصَدَّت لِثِيابي

صُنتُ عَنها حُرَّ وَجهي فَتَصَدَّت لِثِيابي

She bars the road to the peasant and the lord held in awe.

It blocked the path for the farmer and the revered master

Blocking the path of the peasant and the dreaded master alike.

I shielded my noble face from her; she turned upon my clothes.

I protected my face but it grabbed my clothes

I shielded my face from it, so it seized upon my garments;

كُلَّما أَفلَتُّ مِن نابٍ تَلَقَّتني بِنابِ

كُلَّما أَفلَتُّ مِن نابٍ تَلَقَّتني بِنابِ

فَلَها نَهشُ الأَفاعي وَلَها لَسعُ الذُبابِ

فَلَها نَهشُ الأَفاعي وَلَها لَسعُ الذُبابِ

Whenever I escaped one fang, she met me with another.

Each time I escaped one fang it caught me with another

Whenever I escaped one fang, another rose to meet me.

Hers is the bite of vipers, and hers the sting of flies.

It has the bite of snakes and the sting of flies

It possesses the bite of vipers and the stinging of flies,

وَأَذاها في سُكوني كَأَذاها في اِضطِرابي

وَأَذاها في سُكوني كَأَذاها في اِضطِرابي

وَهيَ كَالقَيدِ لِساقي وَلِجيدي كَالسَخابِ

وَهيَ كَالقَيدِ لِساقي وَلِجيدي كَالسَخابِ

She hurts me in stillness just as she hurts me in struggle.

And it bothered me while still as it did when I stirred

Harming me in my stillness just as it harms in my struggle,

She is like a shackle on my leg and a necklace around my neck.

It was like shackles on my legs and clouds over my mind

Like a shackle upon my leg, and a collar around my neck.

فَكَأَنّا في عِناقٍ لا نِضالٍ وَوِثابِ

فَكَأَنّا في عِناقٍ لا نِضالٍ وَوِثابِ

قُلتُ يا ساكِنَةَ الغاب وَيا بِنتَ التُرابِ

قُلتُ يا ساكِنَةَ الغاب وَيا بِنتَ التُرابِ

As though we were embracing, not struggling and lunging.

As if we were in an embrace, not a struggle or skirmish

As if we were locked in an embrace, not in combat and assault.

I said: O dweller of the woods, O daughter of the soil,

I said, o dweller of the woods, o daughter of dust

I said: O dweller of the woods, O daughter of the dust,

لا تَلَجّي في اِجتِذابي أَو فَلَجّي في اِجتِذابي

لا تَلَجّي في اِجتِذابي أَو فَلَجّي في اِجتِذابي

إِنَّ عوداً فيهِ ماءٌ لَيسَ عوداً لِاِحتِطابِ

إِنَّ عوداً فيهِ ماءٌ لَيسَ عوداً لِاِحتِطابِ

Do not persist in pulling me—or else persist in pulling me.

Don’t pull me in or drag me in

Do not persist in dragging me down—or persist if you must—

A branch with sap in it is no branch for firewood.

A wet stick cannot be firewood

For a bough still flowing with sap is not wood meant for the fire.

أَنا في فَجرِ حَياتي أَنا في شَرخِ شَبابي

أَنا في فَجرِ حَياتي أَنا في شَرخِ شَبابي

الهَوى مِلءُ فُؤادي وَالصِبى مِلءُ إِهابي

الهَوى مِلءُ فُؤادي وَالصِبى مِلءُ إِهابي

I am at my life's dawn; I am in the prime of my youth.

I am in the dawn of my life, in the bloom of my youth

I am in the dawn of my life, in the prime of my youth;

Love fills my heart, and youth fills my skin.

Passion fills my heart and adolescence fills my dreams

Passion fills my heart, and youthful spirit fills my frame;

وَالمُنى تَنبُتُ في دَربي وَتَمشي رِكابي

وَالمُنى تَنبُتُ في دَربي وَتَمشي رِكابي

أَنا لَم أَضجَر مِنَ العَيش وَلَم أَملُل صِحابي

أَنا لَم أَضجَر مِنَ العَيش وَلَم أَملُل صِحابي

Hopes sprout along my path, and my mounts walk on.

And wishes grow on my path, walking with my steps

Hopes sprout along my path, and my caravan marches on.

I have not tired of life, nor grown weary of my companions.

I'm not yet tired of living or bored with my friends

I have not grown weary of life, nor tired of my companions;

لَم أَزَل أَلمَحُ طَيفَ المَجدِ حَتّى في السَرابِ

لَم أَزَل أَلمَحُ طَيفَ المَجدِ حَتّى في السَرابِ

لَم أَزَل أَستَشعِرُ اللَذَّةَ حَتّى في العَذابِ

لَم أَزَل أَستَشعِرُ اللَذَّةَ حَتّى في العَذابِ

I still glimpse the phantom of glory, even in a mirage.

I still glimpse the specter of glory even in a mirage

I still glimpse the specter of glory, even within a mirage.

I still feel pleasure, even in torment.

I still feel pleasure even in torment

I still sense pleasure, even in the midst of torment;

لَم أَزَل أَستَشرِفُ الحُسن وَلَو تَحتَ نِقابِ

لَم أَزَل أَستَشرِفُ الحُسن وَلَو تَحتَ نِقابِ

ما بِنَفسي خَشيَةُ المَوت وَلا مِنهُ اِرتِهابي

ما بِنَفسي خَشيَةُ المَوت وَلا مِنهُ اِرتِهابي

I still seek to behold beauty, even beneath a veil.

I still anticipate beauty even beneath a veil

I still seek out beauty, even when hidden beneath a veil.

There is no fear of death in my soul, nor any dread of it.

I don't fear death nor does it frighten me

My soul holds no fear of death, nor any terror of it;

أَنا لِلأَرض وَإِن طالَ عَنِ الأَرضِ اِغتِرابي

أَنا لِلأَرض وَإِن طالَ عَنِ الأَرضِ اِغتِرابي

غَيرَ أَنّي لَم يَزَل ضَرعي لِرَي وَاِحتِلابِ

غَيرَ أَنّي لَم يَزَل ضَرعي لِرَي وَاِحتِلابِ

I belong to the earth, however long my exile from the earth may last.

I belong to the earth even if distant or estranged from it

I belong to the earth, however long my exile from it may last,

Yet my udder is still there to quench thirst and be milked.

Except my udder is still ripe for milking and squeezing

Yet my wellspring is still full, ready to quench and to give;

لَم أَهَب كُلَّ الَّذي عِندي وَلَم يَفرَغ وِطابي

لَم أَهَب كُلَّ الَّذي عِندي وَلَم يَفرَغ وِطابي

أَنا نَهرٌ لَم أُتَمِّم بَعدُ في الأَرضِ اِنسِيابي

أَنا نَهرٌ لَم أُتَمِّم بَعدُ في الأَرضِ اِنسِيابي

I have not given all I have, nor have my milk-skins run dry.

I haven't given all that I have nor emptied my wineskins

I have not bestowed all I possess, nor are my vessels empty.

I am a river; I have not yet finished flowing over the earth.

I'm a river that hasn't finished flowing across the land

I am a river that has not yet completed its flow across the earth;

أَنا رَوضٌ لَم أُذِع كُلَّ عَبيري وَمَلابي

أَنا رَوضٌ لَم أُذِع كُلَّ عَبيري وَمَلابي

أَنا نَجمٌ لَم يُمَزِّق بَعدُ جِلبابَ الضَبابِ

أَنا نَجمٌ لَم يُمَزِّق بَعدُ جِلبابَ الضَبابِ

I am a garden; I have not released all my fragrance and perfume.

I'm a meadow that hasn't diffused all its incense and garlands

I am a garden that has not yet diffused all its fragrance and perfume;

I am a star that has not yet torn the cloak of mist.

I'm a star whose cloak of mist hasn't fully ripped

I am a star that has not yet torn through the cloak of fog;

أَنا فَجرٌ لَم تُتَوِّج فِضَّتي كُلَّ الرَوابي

أَنا فَجرٌ لَم تُتَوِّج فِضَّتي كُلَّ الرَوابي

لي رِغابٌ لَم تَلِد بَعدُ بِالتَبابِ

لي رِغابٌ لَم تَلِد بَعدُ بِالتَبابِ

I am a dawn whose silver has not yet crowned all the hills.

I'm the dawn whose diadems don't crown all the hilltops

I am a dawn whose silver has not yet crowned all the hills.

I have desires that have not yet given birth to ruin.

I have desires not yet born of confusion

I hold desires that have not yet ended in vain,

وَبِنفَسِيَ أَلفُ مَعنى لَم يُضَمَّن في كِتابِ

وَبِنفَسِيَ أَلفُ مَعنى لَم يُضَمَّن في كِتابِ

فَإِذا اِستَنفَدتُ ما في دَنِّ نَفسي مِن شَرابِ

فَإِذا اِستَنفَدتُ ما في دَنِّ نَفسي مِن شَرابِ

And within me are a thousand meanings not set down in a book.

And in myself I find meanings unnamed in books

And within my soul are a thousand meanings not yet inscribed in a book.

Then, when I have drained the drink from my soul's cask,

So when the water in my soul runs dry

So when I have drained the wine from the cask of my soul,

وَإِذا أَنجُمُ آمالي تَوارَت في الحِجابِ

وَإِذا أَنجُمُ آمالي تَوارَت في الحِجابِ

وَإِذا لَم يَبقَ في غَيمي ماءٌ لِاِنسِكابِ

وَإِذا لَم يَبقَ في غَيمي ماءٌ لِاِنسِكابِ

And when the stars of my hopes have vanished behind the veil,

And when my hopes disappear behind the veil

And when the stars of my hopes vanish behind the veil,

And when no water remains in my clouds to pour down,

And when no rain remains in my clouds

And when no water remains in my clouds to pour forth,

وَإِذا ما صُرتُ كَالعَليقِ تِمثالَ اِكتِئابِ

وَإِذا ما صُرتُ كَالعَليقِ تِمثالَ اِكتِئابِ

لا يُرجينِيَ مُحتاج وَلا يَطمَعُ سابِ

لا يُرجينِيَ مُحتاج وَلا يَطمَعُ سابِ

And when I become like the bramble, an image of dejection,

And when I become like a withered scarecrow

And when I become like the bramble, a monument to gloom,

No needy person looks to me with hope, nor does any captor covet me,

With no beggar hoping in me or opportunist expecting

When no needy soul seeks hope in me, and no captor covets me,

فَاِجذُبيني إِن يَكُن مِنِّيَ نَفعٌ لِلتُرابِ

فَاِجذُبيني إِن يَكُن مِنِّيَ نَفعٌ لِلتُرابِ

فَاِجذُبيني إِن يَكُن مِنِّيَ نَفعٌ لِلتُرابِ

فَاِجذُبيني إِن يَكُن مِنِّيَ نَفعٌ لِلتُرابِ

Then draw me to you, if I can be of any use to the soil.

Then pull me in if I can benefit the soil

Then drag me down, if my remains can profit the dust;

Then draw me to you, if I can be of any use to the soil.

Then pull me in if I can benefit the soil

Then drag me down, if my remains can profit the dust.