أطالprolonged بينamong البلادthe lands تجوَاليmy wandering
أطال بين البلاد تجوَالي
قصورُthe insufficiency of ماليmy wealth وطولُand the length of آماليmy hopes
قصورُ مالي وطولُ آمالي
My wandering among the lands has been prolonged
My wandering among the lands has been prolonged
by my meager means and the obscurity of my lot.
by my scant wealth and far-reaching hopes.
إنif رُحتُI departed عنfrom بلدةٍa town غدوتُI set out إلىto
إن رُحتُ عن بلدةٍ غدوتُ إلى
أخرىanother فماso ... not تستقرُّcome to rest أحماليmy loads
أخرى فما تستقرُّ أحمالي
Whenever I leave one town, come morning I set out for
If I leave a town, I set out for
another; my baggage never comes to rest.
another, and so my loads never settle.
كأننيas though I were فكرةُthe thought of الموسوسِthe obsessive person لاnot
كأنني فكرةُ الموسوسِ لا
تبقيremains مدىfor the duration of لحظةa moment علىin حالa state
تبقي مدى لحظة على حال
As though I were a thought in a whisper-haunted mind, never
I am like an obsessive's thought, never
remaining for so much as a moment in one state.
remaining in one state for even a moment.
