رَمَيتُ بِها عَلى هَذا التَبابِ

رَمَيتُ بِها عَلى هَذا التَبابِ

وَما أَورَدتُها غَيرَ السَرابِ

وَما أَورَدتُها غَيرَ السَرابِ

I cast her into this ruin,

I aimed it at this band

And led her only to a mirage;

And brought it nothing but mirage

وَما حَمَّلتُها إِلّا شَقاءً

وَما حَمَّلتُها إِلّا شَقاءً

تُقاضيني بِهِ يَومَ الحِسابِ

تُقاضيني بِهِ يَومَ الحِسابِ

And burdened her with nothing but misery,

And loaded it with nothing but misery

For which she will call me to account on the Day of Reckoning.

With which it takes me to task on Judgment Day

جَنَيتُ عَلَيكِ يا نَفسي وَقَبلي

جَنَيتُ عَلَيكِ يا نَفسي وَقَبلي

عَلَيكِ جَنى أَبي فَدَعي عِتابي

عَلَيكِ جَنى أَبي فَدَعي عِتابي

I wronged you, O my soul; and before me

I picked you, my soul, before you picked me

My father wronged you—so cease reproaching me.

My father picked you, so cease your blame

فَلَولا أَنَّهُم وَأَدوا بَياني

فَلَولا أَنَّهُم وَأَدوا بَياني

بَلَغتُ بِكِ المُنى وَشَفَيتُ ما بي

بَلَغتُ بِكِ المُنى وَشَفَيتُ ما بي

Had they not buried my eloquence alive,

If they had not suppressed my eloquence

I would have attained my hopes with you and healed what ails me.

I would have reached my goal and healed my ailment

سَعَيتُ وَكَم سَعى قَبلي أَديبٌ

سَعَيتُ وَكَم سَعى قَبلي أَديبٌ

فَآبَ بِخَيبَةٍ بَعدَ اِغتِرابِ

فَآبَ بِخَيبَةٍ بَعدَ اِغتِرابِ

I strove—and how many a man of letters strove before me,

How much I strove, and how much a literatus strove before me

Only to return disappointed after time abroad.

Only to return in disappointment after estrangement

وَما أَعذَرتُ حَتّى كانَ نَعلي

وَما أَعذَرتُ حَتّى كانَ نَعلي

دَماً وَوِسادَتي وَجهَ التُرابِ

دَماً وَوِسادَتي وَجهَ التُرابِ

And I made no excuse until my sandal was

I made no excuses until my sandals

Blood, and my pillow the face of the earth;

Were blood, my pillow the dirt's face

وَحَتّى صَيَّرَتني الشَمسُ عَبداً

وَحَتّى صَيَّرَتني الشَمسُ عَبداً

صَبيغاً بَعدَ ما دَبَغَت إِهابي

صَبيغاً بَعدَ ما دَبَغَت إِهابي

And until the sun had made me a slave,

Until the sun made me a slave

Dyed dark, after it had tanned my hide;

Dyeing me after tanning my brows

وَحَتّى قَلَّمَ الإِملاقُ ظُفري

وَحَتّى قَلَّمَ الإِملاقُ ظُفري

وَحَتّى حَطَّمَ المِقدارُ نابي

وَحَتّى حَطَّمَ المِقدارُ نابي

And until poverty had clipped my nail,

Until the file wore away my nails

And until fate had shattered my fang.

Until fate smashed my incisors

مَتى أَنا بالِغٌ يا مِصرُ أَرضاً

مَتى أَنا بالِغٌ يا مِصرُ أَرضاً

أَشُمُّ بِتُربِها ريحَ المَلابِ

أَشُمُّ بِتُربِها ريحَ المَلابِ

When, O Egypt, shall I reach a land

When will I attain the land of Egypt

In whose soil I breathe the scent of malāb perfume?

And smell the scent of its dust?

رَأَيتُ اِبنَ البُخارِ عَلى رُباها

رَأَيتُ اِبنَ البُخارِ عَلى رُباها

يَمُرُّ كَأَنَّهُ شَرخُ الشَبابِ

يَمُرُّ كَأَنَّهُ شَرخُ الشَبابِ

I saw the son of steam upon its hills,

I saw the son of Bukhara on her back

Passing as though it were youth in its prime;

Passing as though the prime of youth

كَأَنَّ بِجَوفِهِ أَحشاءَ صَبٍّ

كَأَنَّ بِجَوفِهِ أَحشاءَ صَبٍّ

يُؤَجِّجُ نارَها شَوقُ الإِيابِ

يُؤَجِّجُ نارَها شَوقُ الإِيابِ

As though within its belly were a lovesick lover's entrails,

As if his insides were a fiery youth's

Whose fire is kindled by longing to return.

Whose ardour the return ignites

إِذا ما لاحَ ساءَلنا الدَياجي

إِذا ما لاحَ ساءَلنا الدَياجي

أَبَرقُ الأَرضِ أَم بَرقُ السَحابِ

أَبَرقُ الأَرضِ أَم بَرقُ السَحابِ

Whenever it appeared, we questioned the darkness:

If the darkness asks, does the earth

Is it the lightning of the earth, or the lightning of the clouds?

Or the clouds flash lightning?