وَحَلِمتُ ثانِيَةً وَكانَ الكَونُ لَم

تَبرَح عَلَيهِ كَلاكِلُ الظَلماءِ

I dreamed again, while the universe had not yet

Cast off the heavy burdens of the darkness,

أَنّي رَأَيتُ جَرادَةً مَطروحَةً

في سَبخَةٍ مَنهوكَةِ الأَعضاءِ

That I saw a locust cast down helpless,

Lying in a salt marsh, her limbs utterly spent,

تَرنو إِلى الأُفُقِ البَعيدِ بِمُقلَةٍ

كَلمى وَتَشتُمُ أَنجُمَ أَنجُمَ الجَوزاءِ

Gazing toward the far horizon with a wounded eye,

Sore and weary, reviling the high stars of Gemini.

فَسَأَلتُها ماذا عَراكِ فَلَم تُجِب

فَسَأَلتُ عَنها زُمرَةَ الرُفَقاءِ

I asked her, "What has befallen you?" but she gave no reply,

So I inquired about her from the band of her companions.

قالوا رَفيقَتُنا شَهيدَةُ هُزئِها

بِنَصائِحِ العُقَلاءِ وَالحُكَماءِ

They said, "Our comrade is a martyr to her mockery

Of the counsel offered by the wise and the sages.

كانَت إِذا جاعَت فَحَبَّةُ خَردَلٍ

تَكفي وَإِن عَطِشَت فَنُقطَةُ ماءِ

"Whenever she hungered, a single grain of mustard

Would suffice, and if she thirsted, a mere drop of water.

سَمِعَت بِنَهرٍ في السَماءِ وَجَنَّةٍ

لَيسَت لِتَصويحٍ وَلا لِفَناءِ

"But she heard of a river in the heavens and a paradise

That knows neither withering nor decay,

العِطرُ في أَثمارِها وَالشَهدُ في

أَنهارِها وَالسِحرُ في الأَنداءِ

"Where perfume resides in its fruits, and honey flows in

Its rivers, and enchantment dwells in the dew.

فَاِستَنكَفَت أَن تَستَمِرَّ حَياتُها

في الأَرضِ جاثِمَةً عَلى الأَقذاءِ

"So she disdained that her life should continue

Upon the earth, crouching amidst the filth.

فَمَضَت تُحَلِّقُ في الفَضاءِ وَلَم تَزَل

حَتّى وَهَت فَهَوَت إِلى الغَبراءِ

"She launched herself soaring into space, and did not cease

Until she faltered, and plummeted back to the dust.

رَجَعَت إِلى الدُنيا الَّتي خُلِقَت لَها

لَم تُخلَقِ الحَشَراتُ لِلأَجواءِ

"She returned to the lowly world for which she was made;

Insects were not created for the high heavens."

هَذي حِكايَتُها وَفيها عَبرَةٌ

لِلطائِشينَ كَهَذِهِ الحَمقاءِ

This is her story, and within it lies a lesson

For the reckless ones, like this foolish creature.