ثَقيلٌ يُطالِعُنا مِن أَمَم

إِذا سَرَّهُ رَعفُ أَنفي أَلَم

A weight upon us gazing from the nations,

A heavy bore looms upon us from close at hand,

When at his leisure, pained are my nostrils.

If he is pleased, I suffer the pain of a nosebleed.

لِطَلعَتِهِ وَخزَةٌ في الحَشا

كَوَقعِ المَشارِطِ في المُحتَجِم

His emergence pricks the senses like a thorn,

His countenance is a sharp prick within the guts,

As cast-lots pierce the gambler in his tent.

Like the bite of lancets on one enduring cupping.

كَأَنَّ الفُؤادَ إِذا ما بَدا

بِإِشفى إِلى كَبِدي يَنتَظِم

My heart seems, when first he shows his veil

It is as though the heart, whenever he appears,

To settle gently on my liver's hem.

Is skewered by an awl straight through to my liver.

أَقولُ لَهُ إِذ أَتى لا أَتى

وَلا نَقَلَتهُ إِلَينا قَدَم

I say, when he appears without appearing,

I say when he comes—may he never have come,

His footsteps nowhere bringing him to us:

And may no foot ever transport him toward us.

فَقَدتُ خَيالَكَ لا مِن عَمىً

وَصَوتَ كَلامِكَ لا مِن صَمَم

I have not lost your image out of blindness,

May I lose sight of your shadow, yet not from blindness,

Nor am I deaf to hear your voice gone dumb.

And lose the sound of your words, yet not from deafness.

تَغَطَّ بِما شِئتَ عَن ناظِري

وَلَو بِالرِداءِ بِهِ تَلتَثِم

Hide as you will from my beholding eyes,

Veil yourself from my eyes with whatever you wish,

Even if with a cloak around your face.

Even if only with the robe you wrap around your face.