نفسٌ لها مع كلِّ ريحٍ مذهبٌ

نفسٌ لها مع كلِّ ريحٍ مذهبٌ

أبت السكونَ وإني منها آيسُ

أبت السكونَ وإني منها آيسُ

A soul with a course for every wind

A soul that flies off with every passing breeze

Has refused stillness, and I despair of it.

Refuses to be still though I despair of it

فكأنها اسمٌ معربٌ وكأني ما

فكأنها اسمٌ معربٌ وكأني ما

أحتاج ما يحتاج دَنْفٌ بائسُ

أحتاج ما يحتاج دَنْفٌ بائسُ

So it is as though it were an inflected noun, and as though I do not

As if it were an Arabic name declined

Need what a wretched invalid needs.

And I, what a wretched violin needs