Night in Riyadh. Traveller, let’s leave Iskutl ánda (Scotland)
That our souls diseappear in the áas (fundamental belief) of Saudi’s silver rimáal (sands)
You are an ájnabi (foreigner) in this splendour, and the beams of this country hit you like an :aks eksrai (X-ray photograph)
As the :álam (flag) of beauty pierces the dusty eyes of women clad in their fustáan (lady’s dress)
Shall we wait freedom until fájr (dawn) crouched at the door of this deserted sifáarah (embassy) ?
While Al-Yáman (Yemen) dies at the hands of one golden ágrab (scorpion)
Or should we solely contemplate how an áswad (black) cloud is invading the lips of the night,
In the heart of Riyadh, I will wait for better tomorrows ; my eyes turned ban áfsaji (violet)
Traveller, can you attach this bánjari (bracelet) firmly to my wrist and not hurt me ?
While ázrag (blue) lamps are lightening our visions, for harr (heat) blurries our thoughts
Are you hungry — you can take some bárgar sámak (fishburger) from these shops
Your smile has been my literary hawáayah (interest, hobby) for a while now
But the jábal (mountain) of desire still sleeps behind the clouds, hiding a jaish (army) of strange birds
Who drew me one weird jawáaz as-sáfar (passport) in the sand ;
Traveller the coming night will be long and gháali (expensiv),
You should consider pouring gáhwah (coffee) on your dreams, and some looz (almonds) on your tongue
The kand áishan (air-conditioning) is not working anymore, let’s get wet with the sweat of destiny
For Riyadh’s shawáari (streets) are burrying their hope in the curtains of history
And catching fire like the flamed majáamir (incense burners) of Saudi’s sand dunes