هُناhere فيin الحَجْرِquarantine أبحَثُI search عنْfor هَواءِair
هُنا في الحَجْرِ أبحَثُ عنْ هَواءِ
وعنْand for نُورٍlight يُطِلُّpeeks out منَfrom السَّماءِthe sky
وعنْ نُورٍ يُطِلُّ منَ السَّماءِ
Here in quarantine I search for air,
And for light that spills from the sky
And for light that peeks out from the sky.
Never in my seventy years
أناI ماnot عِشْتُhave lived مِنْof سَبعينَseventy عامًاyears
أنا ما عِشْتُ مِنْ سَبعينَ عامًا
كَهذاlike this العامِyear مِنْfrom خَوْفِfear of البَلاءِcalamity
كَهذا العامِ مِنْ خَوْفِ البَلاءِ
In my seventy years, I have never lived
Have I faced a year like this of dread and woe
A year like this, in fear of calamity.
The world’s experts are confounded
وحارَand were baffled العالمونَthe learned بِأَمْرِby the matter of داءٍa disease
وحارَ العالمونَ بِأَمْرِ داءٍ
يُقاوِمُresists كُلَّall أَنْواعِkinds of الدَّواءِmedicine
يُقاوِمُ كُلَّ أَنْواعِ الدَّواءِ
And the learned were baffled by a disease
By a malady that resists every cure
That resists every kind of medicine.
They scurry to find a vaccine
وهَبُّواand they sprang into action يَبْحَثونَthey search عَسَىperhaps لَقاحٌa vaccine
وهَبُّوا يَبْحَثونَ عَسَى لَقاحٌ
يَكونُwould be الحَلَّthe solution قَبْلَbefore وُقوعِthe occurrence of ِ داءِdisease
يَكونُ الحَلَّ قَبْلَ وُقوعِ ِ داءِ
And they set out searching, hoping a vaccine
A solution before the disease spreads more
Would be the solution before disease struck.
They tried...but how we asked!
وَكانَand it was لَهُمْfor them ... ولكنْbut كَمْhow often سَأَلْناwe asked !
وَكانَ لَهُمْ ... ولكنْ كَمْ سَأَلْنا !
فَكانَso it was الرَّدُّthe reply يُوغِلُgoes deeper فيinto الخَفاءِobscurity
فَكانَ الرَّدُّ يُوغِلُ في الخَفاءِ
And they had one... but how often we asked!
The response receded into obscurity
So the reply sank deeper into obscurity.
Should we believe in the vaccine without question
أَنُؤْمِنُdo we believe? بِاللَّقاحِin the vaccine بِلاwithout سُؤَالٍa question
أَنُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّقاحِ بِلا سُؤَالٍ
علَىin اسْمِthe name of اللهِGod مَعْwith بَعْضِsome الدُّعاءِprayer؟
علَى اسْمِ اللهِ مَعْ بَعْضِ الدُّعاءِ؟
Are we to trust the vaccine without question,
In God's name with a prayer or two?
In God's name, with a little prayer?
And take it without fear that it might
ونَأْخُذُهُand we take it ولاand not نَخْشَىwe fear إِذاif ماemphatic particle
ونَأْخُذُهُ ولا نَخْشَى إِذا ما
نَمَاgrows ذَيْلٌa tail لَناfor us بَعْضَsome النَّماءِgrowth
نَمَا ذَيْلٌ لَنا بَعْضَ النَّماءِ
And take it without fear if
Add another tail for us to grow?
A tail grows on us, just a little?
Most of us live with vestiges
وأَكْثَرُناand most of us يَعِيشُlives العُمْرَa lifetime ذَيْلًاas a tail
وأَكْثَرُنا يَعِيشُ العُمْرَ ذَيْلًا
فَلَيْسَso does not يَخَافُfear مِنْof ذَيْلِthe tail of الشِّفاءِhealing!
فَلَيْسَ يَخَافُ مِنْ ذَيْلِ الشِّفاءِ!
And most of us live out our lives as tails,
Who'd fear the tail-end of a cure!
So they do not fear the tail of healing!
If given a choice between life with a tail
إِذاif خُيِّرْتُI am given a choice بَيْنَbetween الذَّيْلِthe tail حَيًّاalive
إِذا خُيِّرْتُ بَيْنَ الذَّيْلِ حَيًّا
وبَيْنَand between المَوْتِdeath أُمْسِكُI hold on بِالبَقاءِto survival
وبَيْنَ المَوْتِ أُمْسِكُ بِالبَقاءِ
If I am given a choice between living with a tail
Or death, I'd cling to life I hail
And death, I cling to survival.
I'll follow the learned and be a tail
سأَتْبَعُI will follow عالِمًاa scientist وأَكونُand I will be ذَيْلًاa tail
سأَتْبَعُ عالِمًا وأَكونُ ذَيْلًا
لِأَهْلِto the people of العِلْمِknowledge لاnot أَهْلِthe people of الغَباءِstupidity
لِأَهْلِ العِلْمِ لا أَهْلِ الغَباءِ
I will follow a scientist and be a tail
Not to fools, but the wise adept in their lore
To the learned, not to the foolish.
We joked, may some humor heal
مَزَحْناwe joked ، عَلَّperhaps بَعْضَsome المَزْحِjoking يَشْفِيheals
مَزَحْنا ، عَلَّ بَعْضَ المَزْحِ يَشْفِي
ويَمْسَحُand wipes away بَعْضَsome آثارِtraces of العَناءِsuffering !
ويَمْسَحُ بَعْضَ آثارِ العَناءِ !
We joked, hoping a little humor might heal
And wipe away traces of hardship and pain!
And wipe away some traces of suffering!
Before us looms a year, unknown
ونَحْنُand we أََمامَbefore عامٍa year لَيْسَnot يُدْرَىis known
ونَحْنُ أََمامَ عامٍ لَيْسَ يُدْرَى
إلِىtoward دَرْبِthe path of البَقاءِsurvival أَمِor الفَناءِextinction ؟!
إلِى دَرْبِ البَقاءِ أَمِ الفَناءِ ؟!
And we face a year, not knowing:
To the road of life or loss?
Does it lead to the path of survival or extinction?!
Our hands reach out to God
ونَحْوَand toward اللهِGod تَتَّجِهُturn الأَيادِيthe hands
ونَحْوَ اللهِ تَتَّجِهُ الأَيادِي
وترْتَفِعُand rise الحناجِرُthe throats بِالرَّجاءِwith hope :
وترْتَفِعُ الحناجِرُ بِالرَّجاءِ :
And hands turn toward God,
Our throats lift with hope:
And throats rise with hope:
Oh Lord, lighten it for us
أَلاah ياO ربّLord هَوِّنْهاmake it easier عَليْناfor us
أَلا يا ربّ هَوِّنْها عَليْنا
حَيَاةًa life لاnot تَظَلُّremains علىin شَقاءِmisery
حَيَاةً لا تَظَلُّ على شَقاءِ
O Lord, make it easier for us—
A life not spent in misery
A life that does not remain in misery.
Bestow your grace upon us, Creator
وأنعِِمْand bestow favors أَيُّهاO الباريthe Creator عَلْيناupon us
وأنعِِمْ أَيُّها الباري عَلْينا
بِفَيْضِwith an outpouring of الخَيْرِgoodness مِنْكَfrom You وبِالرِّضاءِand with contentment !
بِفَيْضِ الخَيْرِ مِنْكَ وبِالرِّضاءِ !
And bless us, O Creator,
With abundant good, and acceptance serene!
With an outpouring of goodness from You, and with contentment!
Partial English translation: 29 of 30 Arabic lines translated.