يا رُبَّ ضحضاحٍ قَريب المشرَعِ

يا رُبَّ ضحضاحٍ قَريب المشرَعِ

مُطَّرِدٍ مثل السُيوفِ اللُمَّعِ

مُطَّرِدٍ مثل السُيوفِ اللُمَّعِ

Ah, many a shallow pool with a nearby drinking-place,

O Lord of the bright morning whose tents are near,

Flowing steadily, like gleaming swords,

Advancing like polished swords,

مُحتَجَزٍ عَن الطَريق المَهيَعِ

مُحتَجَزٍ عَن الطَريق المَهيَعِ

مُجَلَّلٍ بساحاتٍ وُقَّعِ

مُجَلَّلٍ بساحاتٍ وُقَّعِ

Set apart from the broad, open road,

Cut off from the fearful path,

Mantled with settled swimmers [reading uncertain],

Adorned with widespread plains,

مِن كُلِّ مَوشيَّ الطرازِ أَدرَعِ

مِن كُلِّ مَوشيَّ الطرازِ أَدرَعِ

مُوَشَّحٍ بمِرطِهِ المُوَشِّعِ

مُوَشَّحٍ بمِرطِهِ المُوَشِّعِ

Each dark-headed and white-bodied, with embroidered borders,

Clad in coats of every woven style,

Draped in its patterned mantle;

Dressed in shining armor,

أَو أَخضَر الرِدفِ طريرٍ أَسفَعِ

أَو أَخضَر الرِدفِ طريرٍ أَسفَعِ

كأنَّ عينَه ولَمّا يُهرعِ

كأنَّ عينَه ولَمّا يُهرعِ

Or green-rumped, sleek and dusky,

Or green saddlecloth, a heard steed,

As though its eye, before it had hurried away,

Its eye as if it hasn't slept.

فَصّا عَقيقٍ رُكِّبا لأصبَعِ

فَصّا عَقيقٍ رُكِّبا لأصبَعِ

ذي جُمَّةٍ وَحفٍ وَفَرقٍ أَفرعِ

ذي جُمَّةٍ وَحفٍ وَفَرقٍ أَفرعِ

Were two agate gems mounted for a finger;

Its nose a cut ruby set on a finger,

With luxuriant locks and a thick-haired parting,

With a forelock, fetlock, and widespread mane,

فُرِّطَ حُسناً بِلالٍ أَربَعِ

فُرِّطَ حُسناً بِلالٍ أَربَعِ

وَعقد دُرٍّ حَول جيدٍ أتلَعِ

وَعقد دُرٍّ حَول جيدٍ أتلَعِ

Beautifully adorned with four pearls [reading uncertain],

Beauty poured over it in waves,

And a pearl necklace around a long, graceful neck.

And a pearl necklace around its elegant neck.

فهوَ لعينِ الناظِرِ المُمتَّعِ

فهوَ لعينِ الناظِرِ المُمتَّعِ

كصَنمٍ بجَوهَرِ مُرَصَّعِ

كصَنمٍ بجَوهَرِ مُرَصَّعِ

So it is, to the delighted beholder's eye,

It pleases the beholder's eye,

Like an idol encrusted with jewels,

Like an idol inlaid with jewels,

في حسن صبغ الأرجوان المشبعِ

في حسن صبغ الأرجوان المشبعِ

وردته قبل صدوح الأصقعِ

وردته قبل صدوح الأصقعِ

In the beauty of richly saturated purple dye.

In the beauty of saturated purple,

I reached it before the white-crowned bird's ringing song;

Its rose before the dawn's light.

وَرَدتُهُ قَبلَ انتِباه الهُجَّعِ

وَرَدتُهُ قَبلَ انتِباه الهُجَّعِ

بكُلِّ جذّام النُهى سَمَعمَعِ

بكُلِّ جذّام النُهى سَمَعمَعِ

I reached it before the sleepers awoke,

I met it before the sleepers awoke,

With every keen-witted, alert and nimble companion,

With all the firmness of forbidden passions,

مُجَرِّب موفق موقَّعِ

مُجَرِّب موفق موقَّعِ

محتقب كنيف نبع أرفع

محتقب كنيف نبع أرفع

Experienced, favored with success, seasoned by trials,

An accomplished, successful, marked stallion,

Carrying behind him a quiver of the finest nabʿ wood,

Vigilant, gentle, a lofty spring,

مُنتَبذ المرمى سَريع المنزَعِ

مُنتَبذ المرمى سَريع المنزَعِ

يهدي بُنيّاتِ الدواهي النُزَّعِ

يهدي بُنيّاتِ الدواهي النُزَّعِ

Far-reaching in aim, quick to draw,

Taking the furthest goal, quick to set out,

Guiding the far-flung little daughters of calamity

Bringing imaginings of high-mettled steeds

إلى بُنيّات المياه الوُقَّعِ

إلى بُنيّات المياه الوُقَّعِ

مثل الدحاريج التي لم تُصدع

مثل الدحاريج التي لم تُصدع

Toward the little daughters of the waters, settled there—

To imaginings of placid waters,

Like rounded balls that had not cracked,

Like unbroken jars—

كُبِبنَ من حُرِّ الأديم الأرفعِ

كُبِبنَ من حُرِّ الأديم الأرفعِ

لا مَلِح الرمل ولا المشعشعِ

لا مَلِح الرمل ولا المشعشعِ

Rolled from the purest, finest surface earth,

Molded from fine leather—

Neither salty sand nor a watered-down mixture.

Without the salt of sand or mirage,

حتى إذا صاروا إزاء المكرعِ

حتى إذا صاروا إزاء المكرعِ

بحيث لا يغتال سهم الأجرعِ

بحيث لا يغتال سهم الأجرعِ

Until, when they stood opposite the drinking-place,

Until they faced the trainer,

Where no arrow from the sandy tract could kill unawares,

So no arrow of ignorance could strike them,

ووسطوا الإنباض متَّ الأقرعِ

ووسطوا الإنباض متَّ الأقرعِ

واستُحسن النَزع ببُعد الأكُوعِ

واستُحسن النَزع ببُعد الأكُوعِ

And centered the twanging in the bare bow's draw [sense uncertain],

And they were trained to respond to taps,

And the draw was judged fine with wrists held wide apart,

And learned to start at the right moment,

أزجوا لها هاطل حَينٍ مُشرَعِ

أزجوا لها هاطل حَينٍ مُشرَعِ

ظلّوا به في ظلِّ عيشٍ أودعِ

ظلّوا به في ظلِّ عيشٍ أودعِ

They loosed upon them a leveled shower of death;

Then were started into a pouring rain,

Through it they passed the day in the shade of an easier life.

And sheltered in the shade of comfortable living.