لا صَيدَ إِلّا بِوَتَر

لا صَيدَ إِلّا بِوَتَر

أَصفَرَ مَجدولٍ مُمَر

أَصفَرَ مَجدولٍ مُمَر

There is no hunting except with a bowstring,

No prey except by bowstring

Yellow, braided, tightly twisted.

A yellow braided bowstring

إِن مَسَّهُ الرامي نَخَر

إِن مَسَّهُ الرامي نَخَر

ذي مُقلَةٍ تَبكي مَدَر

ذي مُقلَةٍ تَبكي مَدَر

If the archer touches it, it snorts,

If the archer touches it, it hums

With an eye that weeps clay clods.

With a weeping, round-eyed mother

صَنعَةُ بارٍ مُقتَدِر

صَنعَةُ بارٍ مُقتَدِر

دامَ عَليها فَمَهَر

دامَ عَليها فَمَهَر

A capable carver's handiwork;

The work of a capable, steadfast rain

He persisted at it and grew skilled.

It rained on her, so she became refined

فَجِئنَ أَمثالَ الأُكَر

فَجِئنَ أَمثالَ الأُكَر

لَم يَختَلِفنَ في الصُوَر

لَم يَختَلِفنَ في الصُوَر

So they came out like balls,

Then the likes of polished stones came

They did not differ in shape,

They did not differ in forms

بِصِغَرٍ وَلا كِبَر

بِصِغَرٍ وَلا كِبَر

أَشبَهِ طينٍ بِحَجَر

أَشبَهِ طينٍ بِحَجَر

In smallness or in largeness:

Neither small nor big

Clay most like stone.

Resembling clay and rock

يودَعنَ أَمثالَ السُرَر

يودَعنَ أَمثالَ السُرَر

ثُمَّ يَطِرنَ كَالشَرَر

ثُمَّ يَطِرنَ كَالشَرَر

They are placed in navel-like hollows,

They reside in bed-like abodes

Then fly like sparks

Then they fly off like embers

إِلى القُلوبِ وَالثُغَر

إِلى القُلوبِ وَالثُغَر

لَمّا غَدَونَ بِسَحَر

لَمّا غَدَونَ بِسَحَر

Toward hearts and throat hollows.

To hearts and throats

When they went forth before dawn,

When they marched at dawn

وَاللَيلُ مُسوَدُّ الطُرَر

وَاللَيلُ مُسوَدُّ الطُرَر

يَأخُذُ أَرضاً وَيَذَر

يَأخُذُ أَرضاً وَيَذَر

And night's forelocks were black,

And the night of dark hills

Taking some ground and leaving some,

Takes some land and neglects some

وَلاحَ صُبحٌ وَاِشتَهَر

وَلاحَ صُبحٌ وَاِشتَهَر

جاءَت صُفوفاً وَزُمَر

جاءَت صُفوفاً وَزُمَر

And dawn appeared and became clear,

And morning dawned bright

They came in ranks and bands,

Rank upon rank and troop upon troop came

سَوانِحاً بيضَ الغُرَر

سَوانِحاً بيضَ الغُرَر

يَطلُبنَ ما شاءَ القَدَر

يَطلُبنَ ما شاءَ القَدَر

Crossing rightward, white of brow,

With white, apple-shaped cheeks

Seeking what fate had willed:

Seeking what fate had decreed

رَوضاً جَديداً وَنَهَر

رَوضاً جَديداً وَنَهَر

وَهُنَّ يَسأَلنَ النَظَر

وَهُنَّ يَسأَلنَ النَظَر

A fresh meadow and a river.

A new meadow and river

And they asked their sight

And they ask to look

ما عِندَهُ مِنَ الخَبَر

ما عِندَهُ مِنَ الخَبَر

فَقامَ رامٍ فَاِبتَدَر

فَقامَ رامٍ فَاِبتَدَر

What news it held.

To see what news there is

Then an archer stood up and hastened;

So a skilled archer stood up

وَتَّرَ قَوساً وَحَسَر

وَتَّرَ قَوساً وَحَسَر

إِذا رَمى الصَفَّ اِنتَثَر

إِذا رَمى الصَفَّ اِنتَثَر

He strung a bow and bared his arm.

And strung a bow and pulled

Whenever he shot at the rank, it scattered.

When he shot the ranks, they scattered

هَوَّلَ عَوداً قَد نَخَر

هَوَّلَ عَوداً قَد نَخَر

فَبَينَ هاوٍ مُنحَدِر

فَبَينَ هاوٍ مُنحَدِر

He made a snorting wooden stave a terror.

He bent a stick he had notched

So, some fell, plunging down,

Between one plummeting down

وَصائِحٍ عَلى خَطَر

وَصائِحٍ عَلى خَطَر

وَذي جِناحٍ مُنكَسِر

وَذي جِناحٍ مُنكَسِر

And some cried out in peril,

And another crying danger

And some had a broken wing.

And another with a broken wing

وَاِرتاحَ مِن حُسنِ الظَفَر

وَاِرتاحَ مِن حُسنِ الظَفَر

وَمَسَّهُ جِنُّ الأَشَر

وَمَسَّهُ جِنُّ الأَشَر

And he rejoiced at his fine success,

And he relaxed, pleased with his gain

And the jinn of wanton exultation touched him.

And a shooting star touched him

وَقُلنَ إِذ حَقَّ الأَثَر

وَقُلنَ إِذ حَقَّ الأَثَر

وَجَدَّ رَميٌ فَاِستَمَر

وَجَدَّ رَميٌ فَاِستَمَر

And they said, when the effect was clear,

And they said, upon its passing

And the shooting grew fierce and went on:

And the shooting continued

ما هَكَذا رَميُ البَشَر

ما هَكَذا رَميُ البَشَر

صارَ حَصى الأَرضِ مَدَر

صارَ حَصى الأَرضِ مَدَر

This is not how mortals shoot!

This is not a mortal's shooting

The earth's pebbles have become clay clods!

The earth's pebbles became embers