translated from the Arabic by Ameen Rihani
And even the repentant sinner’s tear
Falling into Juhannam’s very ear,
Goes to its heart, extinguishes its fire
For ever and forever,—so I hear.
The Luzumiyat of Abu’l-Ala (James T. White & Co., 1920) by Abū al-‘Alā’ al-Ma‘arrī. Translated from the Arabic by Ameen Rihani. Copyright © 1920 by Ameen Rihani. This poem is in the public domain.