1. كُرُونَا تَهادَتْ مِنْ جِماحِ القَوارِعِ

    وضَجَّ صَداها بالدُّنَى كالزَوابِعِ

    Corona came swaying out of the wild rush of calamities,

    And her echo roared through the worlds like whirlwinds.

  2. تَضُرُّ بِصَفوٍ يَتعَبُ العيشُ دونَهُ

    وجُلُّ مُباحٍ يَستَوي كالمَوانِعِ

    She mars the serenity without which life is wearisome,

    And most of what is permitted becomes like what is forbidden.

  3. تُقَطِّعُ وَصْلاً كان بالوُدِّ قائِماً

    وما كان وَصْلٌ يُفتَدَی بالقَواطِعِ

    She severs a bond that affection had sustained,

    And no bond was ever redeemed by what severs it.

  4. تَحيَّرتُ ضِمْنًا في ابْنةِ الصينِ هل بِها

    دَسِيسَةُ أُنثَى أو ذُكورَةُ خادِعِ؟

    I wondered inwardly about China's daughter: does she harbor

    A female's intrigue, or a deceiver's masculinity?

  5. إلی أَنْ أتَی مِنْ عندِ باريسَ هاتفٌ

    بأنَّكِ – إسماً مِنْ رِقاقِ المَطالِعِ

    Until a voice came from Paris,

    Saying that you, as a name, are of delicate beginnings.

  6. فلا أنتِ مِمَّن يُمنَعُ الضُّرَ دُونَهُ

    ولا أنتِ مِمَّنْ يُتَّقى بالذَّرائِعِ

    For you are not one before whom harm can be held back,

    Nor one who can be warded off by expedients.

  7. أَكُنْتِ جوادًا قد أُميطَ لِجامَهُ

    فَأفلَتَ مُهتاجاً بِتلكَ المَرابِعِ؟

    Were you a steed whose bridle had been removed,

    And so broke loose, raging in those pastures?

  8. يَدُوسُ بنَفْسٍ يَأخُذُ العُمْرَ دُونَها

    فَتَذهَبُ أَدراجَ الضَنَى والمَواجِعِ     

    It tramples a soul, snatching its life away,

    So it vanishes down the paths of wasting illness and pain.

  9. رُوَيدَكِ مَهلاً يا ابْنَةَ الصِّيْتِ إنني  

    أَظُنُّكِ وَلْهَى تَنْتَشِي بِالزَعازِعِ

    Slowly, gently, O daughter of renown; indeed I

    Think you are love-mad, intoxicated by upheavals.

  10. رُوَيدَكِ بَطْشاً كَم فَتَكْتِ بِأنفُسٍ

    ضِعَافٍ وَلَمَّا تكتفي وتمانعي

    Ease your violence—how many souls you have slain,

    Weak ones—yet you have still not had enough or held back.

  11. تَباعَدَ أقوامٌ يُريدونَ عُزلَةً

    أَكَانَ لِزاماً أن تَلِي وتُتَابِعي

    People distanced themselves, seeking isolation;

    Was it necessary for you to follow and keep pursuing?

  12. إلى أين أمضي والشُّكُوكُ تَلُفُّني؟

    وكانَ يَقينِي قَبْلَ ذلكَ تابِعي

    Where shall I go while doubts envelop me?

    And before that, my certainty was my follower.

  13. وبِتنا رِجالاً نَستُرُ الوَجهَ خِيفَةً

    وما كان عَهدٌ بالرجالِ البراقعِ

    And we men came to cover our faces out of fear,

    And face veils had never been customary among men.

  14. وصِرنا أُناساً نأخذُ العزلَ مَنهجاً

    وعيدانَ وَخزٍ في الأنوفِ الخَواضِعِ

    And we became people who adopt isolation as a way of life,

    And pricking sticks in submissive noses.

  15. أَخذتِ رِضاعَ الداءِ طَبعاً وعادَةً   

    وتَنْأَيْنَ دَومًا عَن فِطامِ المَراضِعِ

    You have made suckling disease your nature and habit,

    And always shun the wet nurses' weaning.

  16. فليتكِ كالماضي إذا زالَ فِعْلُهُ

    وكالفِعلِ مَرفوعا هنا كالمُضَارِعِ

    If only you were like the past, once its action has ceased,

    And were 'raised' here, like a present-tense verb.

  17. أما لَكِ غيرُ الضُرِّ طَبعاً وغايَةً،

    وعهدي بِأَهلِ الصينِ كُثْرُ المَنافِعِ

    Have you no nature or aim other than harm,

    Yet I have known China's people for their many benefits.

  18. لعلَّ زَماناً تَذهَبينَ بِرَكبِهِ

    وتُمسِينَ ذِكْرَى في العُيُونِ الدَوامِعِ

    Perhaps you will depart with the caravan of some age,

    And become a memory in weeping eyes.