نَصِفْ شُهْباً قَد أَرْسَلَتْها أَهِلَّةٌ

نَصِفْ شُهْباً قَد أَرْسَلَتْها أَهِلَّةٌ

بِرَاحةِ بَدْرٍ عَنهُ تُجلَى الدَّيَاجِرُ

بِرَاحةِ بَدْرٍ عَنهُ تُجلَى الدَّيَاجِرُ

We describe pale falcons that crescents have loosed,

We describe meteors that crescents have sent forth,

in a full moon’s palm—before him the deep darkness is swept away.

in the palm of a full moon from which darkness is dispelled.

وَكَمْ طَيْرِ مَاءٍ في الرِّياضِ لَهُ دَمٌ

وَكَمْ طَيْرِ مَاءٍ في الرِّياضِ لَهُ دَمٌ

تُضَاهِيهِ مِن حُمْرِ الشَّقَائِقِ زَاهِرُ

تُضَاهِيهِ مِن حُمْرِ الشَّقَائِقِ زَاهِرُ

And many a waterbird in the gardens has blood

And many a waterbird in the gardens has blood

that a radiant bloom among the crimson anemones rivals.

rivaled by red anemones in bloom.

وَفي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ لِلوُحُوشِ مَصَارِعٌ

وَفي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ لِلوُحُوشِ مَصَارِعٌ

بِأَشْلائِها تَقْتاتُ تِلكَ العَسَاكِرُ

بِأَشْلائِها تَقْتاتُ تِلكَ العَسَاكِرُ

Each day the wild beasts have their places of slaughter;

And every day wild beasts meet their deaths;

upon their torn limbs those armies feed.

those armies feed upon their torn remains.

وَمِن دَمِها لِلأرْضِ خَدٌّ مُضَرَّجٌ

وَمِن دَمِها لِلأرْضِ خَدٌّ مُضَرَّجٌ

يَهِيمُ بِهِ قَلْبٌ وَيُفْتَنُ نَاظِرُ

يَهِيمُ بِهِ قَلْبٌ وَيُفْتَنُ نَاظِرُ

And from their blood the earth has a gore-streaked cheek;

And from their blood the earth has a crimson-stained cheek:

a heart is driven mad by it, and a beholder is enthralled.

a heart is enamored of it, and an eye bewitched.

كَأنَّ مَلِيكَ الأَرْضِ خَيَّمَ عِنْدَها

كَأنَّ مَلِيكَ الأَرْضِ خَيَّمَ عِنْدَها

وَضَحَّى وَهَاتِيكَ البِقَاعُ مَجَازِرُ

وَضَحَّى وَهَاتِيكَ البِقَاعُ مَجَازِرُ

As though the sovereign of the earth had pitched camp beside it

As though the king of the earth had pitched camp beside them

and offered sacrifice—those tracts the slaughter grounds.

and offered sacrifices, with those lands as slaughter grounds.