وَصِبيَةٍ مِثلِ صِغارِ الذَرِّ

سودِ الوُجوهِ كَسَوادِ القِدرِ

And children like particles of dust

Black-faced, like the blackness of a pot

جاءَهُمُ البَردُ وَهُم بشَر

بِغَيرِ قُطفٍ وَبِغَيرِ دُثرِ

The cold came upon them, and they were joyous

With neither cloak nor coat

تَراهُمُ بَعدَ صَلاةِ العَصرِ

بَعضُهُمُ مُلتَصِقٌ بِصَدري

You see them after the afternoon prayer

Some clinging to my chest

وَآخَرٌ مُلتَصِقٌ بِظَهري

إِذا بَكَوا عَلَّلَتهُم بِالفَجرِ

Another clinging to my back

If they cried, I blamed it on the dawn

حَتّى إِذا لاحَ عَمودُ الفَجرِ

وَلاحَتِ الشَمسُ خرِجتُ أَسري

Until the pillar of dawn appeared

And the sun shone, I went out a captive

عَنهُم وَحَلّوا بِأُصولِ الجُدرِ

كَأَنَّهُم خَنافِسٌ في جُحرِ

From them, and they took to the roots of the walls

As if they were beetles in a burrow

هذا جَميعُ قِصَّتي وَأَمري

فَاِسمَع مَقالي وَتَوَلَّ أَجري

This is the entirety of my story and matter

So listen to my words and take on my reward

فَأَنتَ أَنتَ ثِقَتي وَذُخري

For you, you are my confidence and treasure