وحولي اطفالٌ إذا سقطوا على

وحولي اطفالٌ إذا سقطوا على

ثرىً سقطت تحتَ التراب حياتي

ثرىً سقطت تحتَ التراب حياتي

And around me are children; if they fall upon

Around me children, if they fall on

the soil, my life falls beneath the earth.

Earth, my life falls beneath the soil

ولولاهم لم يعرف الطرسَ مرقمي

ولولاهم لم يعرف الطرسَ مرقمي

ولا خطَّ إلا في السهى كلماتي

ولا خطَّ إلا في السهى كلماتي

And were it not for them, my pen would never have known parchment,

Without them, ink would not know my pen

nor inscribed my words except in Suha.

Nor would words be etched except in dreams

ولولاهم ما سار في الأرض بائعٌ

ولولاهم ما سار في الأرض بائعٌ

يبيع بياني تاجراً بحصاتي

يبيع بياني تاجراً بحصاتي

And were it not for them, no seller would have walked the earth,

Without them, no peddler would walk the land

selling my eloquence, trading in my intellect.

Selling my words, trading in my pebbles

ولولاهم لم أعرف الشكر مرةً

ولولاهم لم أعرف الشكر مرةً

ولا عرفت همسَ الرجاءِ لهاتي

ولا عرفت همسَ الرجاءِ لهاتي

And were it not for them, I would never once have known gratitude,

Without them, gratitude I'd never know

nor would my uvula have known the whisper of entreaty.

Nor would I know the whispers of my pleadings

ولولاهم ما كان يظفر حاكمٌ

ولولاهم ما كان يظفر حاكمٌ

بلحظةِ ذي الإكرامِ من لحظاتي

بلحظةِ ذي الإكرامِ من لحظاتي

And were it not for them, no ruler would have won

Without them, no ruler would gain

a respectful glance from among my glances.

A moment of benevolence from my moments

ولولاهم ما لان للناس جانبي

ولولاهم ما لان للناس جانبي

إذا لم أجد في الناسِ مثل صفاتي

إذا لم أجد في الناسِ مثل صفاتي

And were it not for them, my manner would not have softened toward people

Without them, people would not turn to me

if I found no qualities like my own among them.

If I could not find in people what mirrors me

ولولاهمُ لم يسمع لليل أنتي

ولولاهمُ لم يسمع لليل أنتي

ولا نظرت أقماره عبراتي

ولا نظرت أقماره عبراتي

And were it not for them, my moan would not have been heard by the night,

Without them, the night would not hear your laments

nor would its moons have looked upon my tears.

Nor would its moons see my tears

ولولاهم ما كنت أزعج خالقي

ولولاهم ما كنت أزعج خالقي

بسؤلٍ على سؤلٍ ولا بصلاة

بسؤلٍ على سؤلٍ ولا بصلاة

And were it not for them, I would not have troubled my Creator

Without them, I would not burden my Creator

with plea upon plea, nor with prayer.

With ceaseless questions and prayers