أنا الأعمَى الذي كُسِرَتْ عَصاهُ

أنا الأعمَى الذي كُسِرَتْ عَصاهُ

بلا ذَنبٍ، وَما تابَت خُطاهُ

بلا ذَنبٍ، وَما تابَت خُطاهُ

I am the blind man whose cane was broken,

I am the blind man whose stick was broken

through no fault, and whose steps have not repented.

Though innocent, yet his steps did not repent

أتيتُ كريمَ كفٍّ ذاتَ فقرٍ

أتيتُ كريمَ كفٍّ ذاتَ فقرٍ

فألقَى للطريقِ حَصَى قِراهُ

فألقَى للطريقِ حَصَى قِراهُ

I came to a generous-handed man in a time of poverty,

I came to one generous of palm though needy

so he cast the pebbles of his hospitality onto the road.

So he threw pebbles to the road as his gift

رجعتُ وقلبيَ الخـالي يتيمٌ

رجعتُ وقلبيَ الخـالي يتيمٌ

فمن يكُ حانيًا، ويكن أباهُ؟

فمن يكُ حانيًا، ويكن أباهُ؟

I returned, my empty heart an orphan.

I returned while my empty heart an orphan

Who, then, will be tender and be its father?

Who could be affectionate, who could be its father?

غَريبًا في زِحامِ العُمْرِ أمشي

غَريبًا في زِحامِ العُمْرِ أمشي

عَسى حَظّي يُصادِفُني عَساهُ

عَسى حَظّي يُصادِفُني عَساهُ

A stranger, I walk amid the throng of life,

A stranger in the crowds of life I walk

perhaps my luck will chance upon me—perhaps it will.

Maybe my luck will come across me suddenly

كتبتُ الحبَّ فوقَ الرَّملِ سِرًّا

كتبتُ الحبَّ فوقَ الرَّملِ سِرًّا

وَدلَّالُ الهَوى جهْرًا مَحاهُ

وَدلَّالُ الهَوى جهْرًا مَحاهُ

I wrote love upon the sand in secret,

I wrote love in the sand secretly

and passion's broker openly erased it.

Yet the spy of passion erased it openly

وشَى بي مثلَ مرآةٍ تَجلّتْ

وشَى بي مثلَ مرآةٍ تَجلّتْ

على فَمِهَا المَلامحُ والجِباهُ

على فَمِهَا المَلامحُ والجِباهُ

He betrayed me like a mirror: there appeared

And told of me like a mirror that reflected

upon its mouth the features and foreheads.

On its mouth the features and forehead

أنا ضدّانِ في جَسَدٍ وروحٍ

أنا ضدّانِ في جَسَدٍ وروحٍ

قميصيَ قُدَّ، وانفَرطَت عُراهُ

قميصيَ قُدَّ، وانفَرطَت عُراهُ

I am two opposites in a body and a soul;

I am two opposites in one body and soul

my shirt was torn, and its fastenings came apart.

My shirt too short, and its nakedness exposed

أنادي وجهَ ظلّي في المرايا

أنادي وجهَ ظلّي في المرايا

وصوتي في المَدى يبكي صَداهُ

وصوتي في المَدى يبكي صَداهُ

I call to the face of my shadow in the mirrors,

I call the face of my shadow in the mirrors

and my voice's echo weeps in the distance.

And my voice in the horizon cries its echo

وبي قلقٌ يساورُني بليلٍ

وبي قلقٌ يساورُني بليلٍ

بريءِ العَتْمِ تفضَحُني رُؤاهُ

بريءِ العَتْمِ تفضَحُني رُؤاهُ

And an unease within me besets me on a night

And in me is anxiety that comes over me at night

innocent of darkness, whose visions expose me.

The innocent darkness exposes my visions

كفـاني أنّـني مـاءٌ، وأفْـنَى

كفـاني أنّـني مـاءٌ، وأفْـنَى

إذا جَفَّ الهَوى في مُنتَهاهُ

إذا جَفَّ الهَوى في مُنتَهاهُ

It is enough for me that I am water, and I perish

It suffices me that I am water, and will perish

when passion runs dry at its farthest reach.

If passion dries up at its end

هَرمْتُ وطارَ عن رأسيْ غُرابٌ

هَرمْتُ وطارَ عن رأسيْ غُرابٌ

له في البَيْنِ ما كانَ اشتَهاهُ

له في البَيْنِ ما كانَ اشتَهاهُ

I grew old, and a crow flew from my head;

I grew old and a raven flew off my head

in parting, it has what it had desired.

It has in separation what it coveted

لَحقْتُ بهِ صغيرًا، غير أنّي

لَحقْتُ بهِ صغيرًا، غير أنّي

على كِبَرٍ طَواني ما طَواهُ

على كِبَرٍ طَواني ما طَواهُ

I caught up with it when young, yet I,

I followed it young, but now in old age

in old age, was folded away by what folded it away.

It has avoided me and all I sought

وَما ألفيتُ مثلَ الشَّيْبِ شيئًا

وَما ألفيتُ مثلَ الشَّيْبِ شيئًا

يَغـارُ على الفتَى إلا صِباهُ

يَغـارُ على الفتَى إلا صِباهُ

And I have found nothing like gray hair

And I have not known anything like gray hair

that jealously guards a young man—except his youth.

That envies the youth except his adolescence

كأنّي دونَ خلق الله أحْيا

كأنّي دونَ خلق الله أحْيا

بلا وطنٍ، ويقتلُني سِواهُ

بلا وطنٍ، ويقتلُني سِواهُ

As though I alone among God's creatures live

It's as if I live below God's creation

without a homeland, and anything other than it kills me.

With no homeland, and solitude kills me