Translations
Clothed in the Water
by Ulayya bint al-MahdīTranslated from Arabic by Will Pewit
English
Clothed in the water
of your generosity.
Given liberally, yet ephemerally,
I’m soaked yet unclothed.
A brother can fast,
he can kneel.
But greed cannot uncurse itself.
Arabic
أَلْبِسِ الماءَ المداما وآسقني حتّى أناما
وأَفِضْ جودك في الناسِ تكنْ فيهم إماما
لعنَ اللهُ أخا البخـ لِ وإن صلّى وصاما