سَئِمتُ الكَونَ في مِصرٍ وَكَفرِ

وَمَن لي أَن أُحَلَّ جَنوبَ قَفرِ

I grew weary of the world in Egypt and unbelief

And who can take me to the south, the barren wilderness?

أُعَلِّل حينَ أَغرَثُ بِالخُزامى

وَأَشرَبُ إِن ظَمِئتُ نَزيعَ جَفرِ

I will make do when destitute with scraps

And drink, when thirsty, the oozing of wounds.

أَرى الأَيّامَ أَنضاءَ البَرايا

عَلَيها مِنهُمُ أَشباحُ سَفرِ

I see the days, the smooth sands -

Upon them ghosts of journeys.

فَما يَبرَقنَ مِن زَولٍ عَجيبٍ

وَلا يَفرَقنَ مِن صُبحٍ وَنفرِ

They do not glitter with a wondrous departure

Nor scatter in the morn and departure.

يَسِرنَ بِما حَمَلنَ الدَهرَ حَتّى

يُنَخنَ بِهِم إِلى أَبياتِ حَفرِ

They journey with what fate has carried

Until buried in the pits of graves.

فَما فَرعُ الفَتاةِ إِذا تَوارَت

بِمُفتَقِرٍ إِلى سَرحٍ وَضَفرِ

So the girl's youth once hidden

Left in need of freedom and deliverance.

يُفارِقُها الفَتى وَالدَمعُ جارٍ

كَذاكَ جَرَت عَوائِدُ أُمُّ دَفرِ

The boy leaves her with tears flowing -

Thus go the ways of mother time.

تُحِدُّ شِفارَها لِرِدى بَنيها

وَما تُرجى كَرامَتُها لِشِفرِ

She grits her teeth at the folly of her sons

And her dignity cannot be hoped for from a sword.

غَفَرنا بَينَ أَمراضِ الدَنايا

وَرَبُّكَ أَهلُ إِحسانٍ وَغَفرِ

We sought forgiveness amid the illnesses of this life

And your Lord is deserving of benevolence and pardon.

سَأَترُكُها مُوَفَّرَةً لِقومٍ

وَهَل سَمَحَت لِمُرتَحِلٍ بِوَفرِ

I will leave it populated for a people,

But did she allow a transient to populate?

أَلا هَذا اليَقينُ فَخُذهُ مِنّي

وَدَع لِمُمَوِّهٍ ما باتَ يَفري

Take this certainty from me -

Leave the doubter to his doubting.