فتىً لم يَخْلُقِ اللَّهُ

فتىً لم يَخْلُقِ اللَّهُ

يديه لسوى اللَّقْمِ

يديه لسوى اللَّقْمِ

A young man—God did not create

A youth whom Allah did not create

his hands for anything but eating.

His hands except for morsels

فما يرتاحُ للمدحِ

فما يرتاحُ للمدحِ

ولا يرتاعُ للشَّتمِ

ولا يرتاعُ للشَّتمِ

So he takes no delight in praise,

So he is not content with praise

nor is he alarmed by abuse.

Nor upset by insults

فرتْ جِلْدتَه الألسُ

فرتْ جِلْدتَه الألسُ

نُ عن شحمٍ وعن لحمِ

نُ عن شحمٍ وعن لحمِ

Tongues have cut his skin away

His skin uncovered bones

from fat and from flesh.

Without fat or flesh

كأنَّا إذ سألْناهُ

كأنَّا إذ سألْناهُ

وقفنا سائلي رسْمِ

وقفنا سائلي رسْمِ

It was as though, when we asked him,

As if when we asked him

we stood petitioning a dwelling’s traces.

We asked a picture