يا سَمْخُ لا سُحُبٌ سَقَتْكِ عِهَادُهَا

يا سَمْخُ لا سُحُبٌ سَقَتْكِ عِهَادُهَا

فلقد أسَلْتِ مِنَ العُيُونِ عِهادَا

فلقد أسَلْتِ مِنَ العُيُونِ عِهادَا

O Samakh, may no clouds water you with their showers,

O falcon, no clouds have quenched your thirst,

For you have indeed made showers stream from eyes.

For you have wept copious tears from the eyes.

وصرعتِ مَن رَكِبَ الجمَادَ فراضَهُ

وصرعتِ مَن رَكِبَ الجمَادَ فراضَهُ

والريحُ تُزبدُ تَحْتَهُ إِزْبَادَا

والريحُ تُزبدُ تَحْتَهُ إِزْبَادَا

And you felled him who rode inanimate matter and tamed it,

You have felled those who mounted the rocks over-confidently,

While the wind foamed and frothed beneath him.

While the wind foams beneath them in agitation.

خاضَ الفضاءَ وداسَ متنَ سحابِهِ

خاضَ الفضاءَ وداسَ متنَ سحابِهِ

ببَسَالةٍ وعَلَا السُّهَى أَوْ كَادَا

ببَسَالةٍ وعَلَا السُّهَى أَوْ كَادَا

He waded through the sky and trod the backs of its clouds,

You traversed the skies and trod the backs of clouds

With valor, and rose above al-Suha—or nearly did.

With valor, rising above the summits or almost.

مَا رَوَّعَتْ شُهُبُ السَّمَاءِ فُؤَادَهُ

مَا رَوَّعَتْ شُهُبُ السَّمَاءِ فُؤَادَهُ

بلْ طَافَ فِيهَا مُبْرِقًا رَعَّادَا

بلْ طَافَ فِيهَا مُبْرِقًا رَعَّادَا

The sky's shooting stars did not terrify his heart;

The meteors of the heavens did not frighten your heart,

Rather, he roamed through it, flashing lightning and thundering.

But you circled among them, flashing like lightning.

يَا مَنْ سَمَوْتَ إِلَى العُلَى فَبَلَغْتَهُ

يَا مَنْ سَمَوْتَ إِلَى العُلَى فَبَلَغْتَهُ

وَسَبَقْتَ أَسْرَابَ الطُّيُورِ طِرَادَا

وَسَبَقْتَ أَسْرَابَ الطُّيُورِ طِرَادَا

O you who soared to the heights and attained them,

O you who ascended to the sublime heights and attained them,

And outstripped the flocks of birds in pursuit.

And outstripped the flocks of birds in the race.

خَفَقَتْ ضُلُوعُ الرِّيحِ تَحْتَكَ وَالْتَوَتْ

خَفَقَتْ ضُلُوعُ الرِّيحِ تَحْتَكَ وَالْتَوَتْ

فَرَقًا وَكَمْ فَطَرَتْ عَلَيْكَ فُؤَادَا

فَرَقًا وَكَمْ فَطَرَتْ عَلَيْكَ فُؤَادَا

The wind's ribs quivered beneath you and writhed,

The ribs of the wind fluttered beneath you and twisted,

In fear—and how many a heart it broke in grief for you!

Breaking apart, and how many hearts you have rent asunder!

حَتَّى كَبَتْ أُخْتُ النُّسُورِ كَلِيلَةً

حَتَّى كَبَتْ أُخْتُ النُّسُورِ كَلِيلَةً

فَهَوَيْتَ، لَا جُبْنًا وَلَا إِرْعَادَا

فَهَوَيْتَ، لَا جُبْنًا وَلَا إِرْعَادَا

Until the eagles' sister stumbled, exhausted,

Until the sister of eagles fell exhausted,

So you fell—not from cowardice, nor from trembling.

And you swooped down, neither from cowardice nor trembling.

لَكِنْ عَلَاؤُكَ مَا ارْتَضَى بَطْنَ الثَّرَى

لَكِنْ عَلَاؤُكَ مَا ارْتَضَى بَطْنَ الثَّرَى

مَثْوًى وَآثَرَ فِي العَلَاءِ رُقَادَا

مَثْوًى وَآثَرَ فِي العَلَاءِ رُقَادَا

But your loftiness would not accept the belly of the earth

But your sublime spirit disdained the belly of the earth

As a resting place, preferring slumber in the heights.

As a dwelling, preferring the open sky as a couch.

فَتَخِذْتَ ثَوْبَ السافياتِ سَوَابِحًا

فَتَخِذْتَ ثَوْبَ السافياتِ سَوَابِحًا

كَفَنًا وَأَطْبَاقَ السَّحَابِ وِسَادَا

كَفَنًا وَأَطْبَاقَ السَّحَابِ وِسَادَا

So you took the robe of the swimming, dust-scattering winds

So you took the garb of clouds as your winding sheet

As a shroud, and the layers of clouds as a pillow.

And the layers of clouds as your pillow.