غَنَّيتَ في شَرخِكَ أَذكى مِن قَبَس

غَنَّيتَ في شَرخِكَ أَذكى مِن قَبَس

وَكُنتَ بَحراً ثُمَّ أَصبَحتَ يَبَس

وَكُنتَ بَحراً ثُمَّ أَصبَحتَ يَبَس

You sang in your prime, brighter than a firebrand.

You sang in your crevice brighter than a coal

And you were a sea, then became dry land.

And you were an ocean, then you became dry land

أَما تَراني في الزَمانِ مُحتَبَس

أَما تَراني في الزَمانِ مُحتَبَس

أَعمارُنا تَعجَزُ عَمّا يُقتَبَس

أَعمارُنا تَعجَزُ عَمّا يُقتَبَس

Do you not see me held captive in time?

Don't you see me trapped in time?

Our lifetimes fall short of what can be gleaned;

Our lifetimes fail to grasp what can be kindled

تَضيقُ أَن يُكشَفَ فيها ما اِلتَبَس

تَضيقُ أَن يُكشَفَ فيها ما اِلتَبَس

وَهِيَ قَصيراتٌ كَآياتِ عَبَس

وَهِيَ قَصيراتٌ كَآياتِ عَبَس

They are too short for what is obscure to be unveiled within them,

Too narrow to reveal what is entangled

And they are brief, like the verses of ‘Abasa.

And they are short like the verses of 'Abasa

لَو قَبِلَ النَصحَ لِساني ما نَبَس

لَو قَبِلَ النَصحَ لِساني ما نَبَس

Had my tongue heeded counsel, it would not have uttered a word.

Had my advice been heeded, my tongue would not have uttered