كَأَنَّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ زُرقُ أَسِنَّةٍ

كَأَنَّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ زُرقُ أَسِنَّةٍ

بِها كُلُّ مَن فَوقَ التُرابِ طَعينُ

بِها كُلُّ مَن فَوقَ التُرابِ طَعينُ

It is as though the stars of night were blue spearheads,

The stars of night are like blue lances

with which everyone above the dust is pierced.

With which all above the dust complain,

وَلَولا عُيونٌ حاسِراتٌ مَتى رَأَت

وَلَولا عُيونٌ حاسِراتٌ مَتى رَأَت

مُقيماً بِوَجهِ الأَرضِ قيلَ مَعينُ

مُقيماً بِوَجهِ الأَرضِ قيلَ مَعينُ

And but for weary eyes, whenever they saw

And but for eyes that pine with parting's pain,

a dweller on the earth’s face, he would be called stricken by the evil eye.

Who, fixed on earth, had called the earth a main?

وَلائِحُ هَذا الفَجرِ سَيفٌ مُجَرَّدٌ

وَلائِحُ هَذا الفَجرِ سَيفٌ مُجَرَّدٌ

أَعانَ بِهِ صَرفَ الزَمانِ مُعينُ

أَعانَ بِهِ صَرفَ الزَمانِ مُعينُ

And the gleam of this dawn is an unsheathed sword,

This dawn, with bared sword gleaming bright,

with which a helper has aided the ravages of time.

Who hath sped on the turns of time amain,

كَأَن قَد حَوَتهُم لَعنَةٌ مِن مَليكِهِم

كَأَن قَد حَوَتهُم لَعنَةٌ مِن مَليكِهِم

وَمَن لَم يُطِع مَولاهُ فَهوَ لَعينُ

وَمَن لَم يُطِع مَولاهُ فَهوَ لَعينُ

As though a curse from their sovereign had already engulfed them,

As though they by their king's curse were overta'en

and whoever does not obey his master is accursed.

And whoso thwarts his lord is cursed again.

وَأَروَحُ مِن عَينٍ يَظَلُّ اِنتِسابُها

وَأَروَحُ مِن عَينٍ يَظَلُّ اِنتِسابُها

إِلى الإِنسِ وَحشٌ بِالمَهامِهِ عينُ

إِلى الإِنسِ وَحشٌ بِالمَهامِهِ عينُ

And more comforting than an eye that continues to belong

Lighter of spirit than eyes whose lineage

to humankind are large-eyed beasts in the desert wastes.

To man is lost through savages in grain.