وَمَوقِدِ نارٍ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

وَمَوقِدِ نارٍ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

يَشِبُّ النَدى فيهِ لِساري الدُجى نَدّا

يَشِبُّ النَدى فيهِ لِساري الدُجى نَدّا

And a hearth of fire, till it seemed that

By a firebrand that seems as though

generosity kindled incense there for the traveler through darkness.

dew is boiling in it for the night visitor's cooking pot,

فَأَطلَعَ مِن داجي دُخانٍ بَنَفسَجاً

فَأَطلَعَ مِن داجي دُخانٍ بَنَفسَجاً

جَنِيّاً وَمِن قاني شُواظٍ لَهُ وَردا

جَنِيّاً وَمِن قاني شُواظٍ لَهُ وَردا

Then it brought forth violets from dark smoke,

There emerged from its smoke a violet vapor

freshly picked, and roses for him from crimson flame.

and from its live coals red embers.

وَضاحَكَ غُرّاً مِن وُجوهٍ وَضيئَةٍ

وَضاحَكَ غُرّاً مِن وُجوهٍ وَضيئَةٍ

فَلَم أَدرِ أَيَّ كانَ أَذكاهُما وَقدا

فَلَم أَدرِ أَيَّ كانَ أَذكاهُما وَقدا

And it exchanged smiles with bright, luminous faces;

It laughed sparks from radiant faces,

I could not tell which of the two burned more brightly.

and I could not tell which of the two was more ablaze.

إِذا بَسَطَت كَفُّ الهَياجِ إِلى العِدى

إِذا بَسَطَت كَفُّ الهَياجِ إِلى العِدى

أَنامِلَ سُمرِ الخَطِّ كانوا لَها زَندا

أَنامِلَ سُمرِ الخَطِّ كانوا لَها زَندا

Whenever the hand of battle stretched toward the foes

When the pale fingers of daybreak reach for the foe,

its fingers of brown Khatt spears, they were its forearm.

dawn finds their sword-blades bared.

فَظَلَّت وَكُلٌّ في مَضاءِ حُسامِهِ

فَظَلَّت وَكُلٌّ في مَضاءِ حُسامِهِ

فُؤاداً وَفي إِشرافِ خَطَّيهِ قَدّا

فُؤاداً وَفي إِشرافِ خَطَّيهِ قَدّا

So it remained, each man keen as his sword

So they remained, while in each one’s shining sword

in heart, and lofty as his Khatt spear in stature.

there was a heart and on each keen edge a bold soul.

أَرى خَيرَ نارٍ حَولَها خَيرُ فِتيَةٍ

أَرى خَيرَ نارٍ حَولَها خَيرُ فِتيَةٍ

أَنافَت لَهُم جيداً وَحَفّوا بِها عِقدا

أَنافَت لَهُم جيداً وَحَفّوا بِها عِقدا

I see the finest fire, with the finest youths around it;

I see good fire surrounded by good lads

it lifted its neck for them, and they encircled it like a necklace.

who offered it their cheeks and encircled it with a necklace.

إِذا الريحُ هَبَّت مِن سَوادِ دُخانِها

إِذا الريحُ هَبَّت مِن سَوادِ دُخانِها

عِذاراً وَمِن مُحمَرِّ جاحِمِها خَدّا

عِذاراً وَمِن مُحمَرِّ جاحِمِها خَدّا

When the wind blew the fire's black smoke into

When the wind blew from the blackness of its smoke,

a bridle, and its reddened blaze into a cheek,

perfume, and from its red-hot blaze, a tattoo on the cheek,

أَثارَت قَتاماً يَملَأُ العَينَ أَكهَباً

أَثارَت قَتاماً يَملَأُ العَينَ أَكهَباً

وَجالَت جَواداً في عِنانِ الصَبا وَردا

وَجالَت جَواداً في عِنانِ الصَبا وَردا

it stirred up dark-gray dust that filled the eye,

It stirred up a darkness brimming with motes

and wheeled, a rose-red steed in the east wind's reins.

and sent forth steeds bridled by the zephyr bearing perfume.

رَأَيتُ جُفونَ الريحِ وَاللَيلُ إِثمِدٌ

رَأَيتُ جُفونَ الريحِ وَاللَيلُ إِثمِدٌ

تُقَلِّبُ مِن حُمرِ الجُذى أَعيُناً رُمدا

تُقَلِّبُ مِن حُمرِ الجُذى أَعيُناً رُمدا

I saw the wind's eyelids, with the night as kohl,

I saw the eyelids of the wind as night held back,

rolling inflamed eyes made of red firebrands;

rolling red embers in the live coals from which sparks leapt.

وَبِالجَمرِ مِن أَكنافِها مَسَّ رِعدَةٍ

وَبِالجَمرِ مِن أَكنافِها مَسَّ رِعدَةٍ

تَئِنُّ وَحامي الجَمرِ عَن حَرِّهِ بَردا

تَئِنُّ وَحامي الجَمرِ عَن حَرِّهِ بَردا

and a touch of shivering in the embers along its flanks:

By the embers that touched one of its sides, lightning flashed

it moaned, while the embers defended their heat against cold.

that moaned, while the guardian of the embers sought refuge from its heat in coolness.