نَشوانُ ما فَوقَ الكَثيبِ مُهَفهَفٌ

نَشوانُ ما فَوقَ الكَثيبِ مُهَفهَفٌ

تَثنيهِ في رَوضِ الشَبابِ رِياحُهُ

تَثنيهِ في رَوضِ الشَبابِ رِياحُهُ

Intoxicated and slender is the one above the dune;

The branches above the sand dune flutter

In the garden of youth, its breezes sway him.

Bending in the garden of youth, winds shaking them

لَيلٌ كَلِمَّتِهِ لَو اَنَّ ظَلامَهُ

لَيلٌ كَلِمَّتِهِ لَو اَنَّ ظَلامَهُ

يَنشَقُّ عَن دَيجورِهِ إِصباحُهُ

يَنشَقُّ عَن دَيجورِهِ إِصباحُهُ

A night would be like his locks, if its darkness

A night whose darkness, if it would crack

Were cleft by its dawn breaking forth from its pitch-black gloom.

Revealing the dawn hidden within

هَبني أَقولُ لَهُم جَنى مُتَعَمِّداً

هَبني أَقولُ لَهُم جَنى مُتَعَمِّداً

قَتلي فَأَينَ دَمي وَأَينَ سِلاحُهُ

قَتلي فَأَينَ دَمي وَأَينَ سِلاحُهُ

Suppose I tell them, “He deliberately committed

Let me say to them, intentionally killing

My murder”—then where is my blood, and where is his weapon?

My murder, where is my blood and where is his weapon