وَزَرقاءَ في لَونِ السَّماءِ تَنَبَّهَتْ

وَزَرقاءَ في لَونِ السَّماءِ تَنَبَّهَتْ

لِتَحبِيكِها ريحٌ تَهُبُّ مَعَ الفَجرِ

لِتَحبِيكِها ريحٌ تَهُبُّ مَعَ الفَجرِ

And a blue pool, the color of the sky, awoke

And a pool blue as the sky—there awoke

to the weaving touch of a wind that blows with dawn.

to ripple it a wind that blows at dawn.

يَشُقّ حَشَاها جَدولٌ مُتَكَفّلٌ

يَشُقّ حَشَاها جَدولٌ مُتَكَفّلٌ

بسَقيِ رياضٍ أُلْبِسَتْ حُلَلَ الزَّهرِ

بسَقيِ رياضٍ أُلْبِسَتْ حُلَلَ الزَّهرِ

A stream cleaves its very heart, charged

A stream cleaves its belly, charged

with watering gardens robed in the finery of blossoms,

with watering gardens clothed in robes of blossoms.

كَما طَعَنَ المِقدامُ في الحَربِ دَارِعاً

كَما طَعَنَ المِقدامُ في الحَربِ دَارِعاً

بِعَضْبٍ فَشَقَّ الخَصرَ مِنهُ إِلى الخصرِ

بِعَضْبٍ فَشَقَّ الخَصرَ مِنهُ إِلى الخصرِ

just as in battle a valiant warrior stabs an armored foe

As a bold warrior in battle stabbed an armored man

with a keen sword, cleaving him from flank to flank.

with a keen sword, then cleft him from flank to flank.

يُريكَ رُؤوساً منهُ في جِسمِ حَيَّةٍ

يُريكَ رُؤوساً منهُ في جِسمِ حَيَّةٍ

سَعَتْ من حياةٍ في حَدائِقِهِ الخضرِ

سَعَتْ من حياةٍ في حَدائِقِهِ الخضرِ

It shows you branching heads of its own upon a serpent’s body,

It shows you heads of its own in a serpent's body,

gliding with living motion through its green gardens.

that slithered, impelled by life, through its green gardens.

فَلا رَوضَةٌ إِلّا استَعارَت لِشُكرِهِ

فَلا رَوضَةٌ إِلّا استَعارَت لِشُكرِهِ

لسانَ صَباً تَسْري مُطَيَّبَةَ النَّشرِ

لسانَ صَباً تَسْري مُطَيَّبَةَ النَّشرِ

No garden but has borrowed, to thank it,

So no garden failed to borrow, in gratitude to it,

the tongue of an east breeze, stealing past, sweet with fragrance.

the tongue of an east wind, drifting with sweet fragrance.