قلتُ لأيري إذ أبي أن يرقدا

قلتُ لأيري إذ أبي أن يرقدا

مالكَ قد قمتَ قياماً سرمدا

مالكَ قد قمتَ قياماً سرمدا

I said to my cock when it refused to sleep:

I said to him when he refused to sleep

I said to my member when it refused to sleep,

"What ails you, standing eternally erect?"

Why do you rise standing eternally?

"What ails you, that you have risen in eternal stance?"

أنعظَ حتى قلتُ جازَ لفرقدا

أنعظَ حتى قلتُ جازَ لفرقدا

أو يبتغي عند ابن نعشٍ موعدا

أو يبتغي عند ابن نعشٍ موعدا

It grew erect until I said, "It has passed al-Farqad,

He became angry until I said it is allowed for one who sleeps

It surged until I claimed it passed the Farqad star,

or seeks a rendezvous beside Ibn Naʿsh."

Or seeks an appointment with the son of Na'sh

Or sought a rendezvous with the Great Bear above.

تراهُ في الركبِ إذ ما أصعدا

تراهُ في الركبِ إذ ما أصعدا

نصفاً تهاميّاً ونصفاً مُنجِدا

نصفاً تهاميّاً ونصفاً مُنجِدا

You see it at the groin whenever it rises,

You see him in the group when they ascend

You see it amongst the riders as they ascend,

half in Tihamah and half ascending into Najd.

Half leaning and half upright

Half of it in Tihama, and half upon the highlands.