وَصِبيَةٍ مِثلِ صِغارِ الذَرِّ

وَصِبيَةٍ مِثلِ صِغارِ الذَرِّ

سودِ الوُجوهِ كَسَوادِ القِدرِ

سودِ الوُجوهِ كَسَوادِ القِدرِ

And children, like the smallest of ants,

And children like particles of dust

Black-faced, like the blackness of a cooking pot,

Black-faced, like the blackness of a pot

جاءَهُمُ البَردُ وَهُم بشَر

جاءَهُمُ البَردُ وَهُم بشَر

بِغَيرِ قُطفٍ وَبِغَيرِ دُثرِ

بِغَيرِ قُطفٍ وَبِغَيرِ دُثرِ

The cold came upon them, human beings as they are,

The cold came upon them, and they were joyous

Without blankets and without warm coverings.

With neither cloak nor coat

تَراهُمُ بَعدَ صَلاةِ العَصرِ

تَراهُمُ بَعدَ صَلاةِ العَصرِ

بَعضُهُمُ مُلتَصِقٌ بِصَدري

بَعضُهُمُ مُلتَصِقٌ بِصَدري

You see them after the afternoon prayer:

You see them after the afternoon prayer

Some of them clinging to my chest,

Some clinging to my chest

وَآخَرٌ مُلتَصِقٌ بِظَهري

وَآخَرٌ مُلتَصِقٌ بِظَهري

إِذا بَكَوا عَلَّلَتهُم بِالفَجرِ

إِذا بَكَوا عَلَّلَتهُم بِالفَجرِ

And another clinging to my back.

Another clinging to my back

When they wept, I soothed them with the promise of dawn,

If they cried, I blamed it on the dawn

حَتّى إِذا لاحَ عَمودُ الفَجرِ

حَتّى إِذا لاحَ عَمودُ الفَجرِ

وَلاحَتِ الشَمسُ خرِجتُ أَسري

وَلاحَتِ الشَمسُ خرِجتُ أَسري

Until, when the pillar of dawn appeared,

Until the pillar of dawn appeared

And the sun appeared, I went out, making my way

And the sun shone, I went out a captive

عَنهُم وَحَلّوا بِأُصولِ الجُدرِ

عَنهُم وَحَلّوا بِأُصولِ الجُدرِ

كَأَنَّهُم خَنافِسٌ في جُحرِ

كَأَنَّهُم خَنافِسٌ في جُحرِ

Away from them, and they settled at the foot of the walls,

From them, and they took to the roots of the walls

As though they were beetles in a burrow.

As if they were beetles in a burrow

هذا جَميعُ قِصَّتي وَأَمري

هذا جَميعُ قِصَّتي وَأَمري

فَاِسمَع مَقالي وَتَوَلَّ أَجري

فَاِسمَع مَقالي وَتَوَلَّ أَجري

This is the whole of my story and my situation.

This is the entirety of my story and matter

So hear my words and see to my reward,

So listen to my words and take on my reward

فَأَنتَ أَنتَ ثِقَتي وَذُخري

فَأَنتَ أَنتَ ثِقَتي وَذُخري

For you—you are my reliance and my treasure.

For you, you are my confidence and treasure