بِتُّ بِلَيلٍ كُلَّهُ لَم أَطرِفِ

بِتُّ بِلَيلٍ كُلَّهُ لَم أَطرِفِ

قِرقِسُهُ كَالرَمَشِ المُنَتَّفِ

قِرقِسُهُ كَالرَمَشِ المُنَتَّفِ

I spent a whole night without blinking.

Awake all night with his chirping - sharp

Its mosquitoes were like plucked eyelashes.

As an eyelash rapidly blinking -

يَلسَعُنا بِشَعَرٍ مُجَوَّفِ

يَلسَعُنا بِشَعَرٍ مُجَوَّفِ

يُعَذِّبُ المُهجَةَ إِن لَم يُتلِفِ

يُعَذِّبُ المُهجَةَ إِن لَم يُتلِفِ

They sting us with hollow hairs,

Stinging us with hollow bristles

Tormenting the soul, if they do not destroy it,

Tormenting brains, should we not take cover,

وَيَثقُبُ الجِلدَ وَراءَ المُطرَفِ

وَيَثقُبُ الجِلدَ وَراءَ المُطرَفِ

حَتّى تَرى فيهِ كَشَكلِ المِصحَفِ

حَتّى تَرى فيهِ كَشَكلِ المِصحَفِ

And piercing the skin beneath the bordered cloak,

And piercing skin behind the eyelid

Till you see marks on it like a Qur’an manuscript’s vowel signs,

Until you see on it the Quran’s shape

أَو مِثلِ رَشِّ العُصفُرِ المُدَوَّفِ

أَو مِثلِ رَشِّ العُصفُرِ المُدَوَّفِ

Or like a sprinkling of safflower mixed with water.

Or like the gilded sparrow’s splattered drops.