واعجم غناني بصوت مركب

واعجم غناني بصوت مركب

من النار والماء النقاخ المروَّق

من النار والماء النقاخ المروَّق

And a speechless one sang to me with a voice compounded

With a complex voice, made unintelligible,

of fire and pure, clarified water.

Of fire and chilled, refined water,

حشاشته جمر الغضا وزفيره

حشاشته جمر الغضا وزفيره

يطير شواظا عن لهيب محرق

يطير شواظا عن لهيب محرق

Its life-spark is ghada embers, and its breath

Its tenderness a hot coal, its breath

flies as smokeless flame from a scorching blaze.

Scatters sparks from a blazing flame.

وقد فكَّ شدقيه فعضَّ حمامة

وقد فكَّ شدقيه فعضَّ حمامة

تزق بنيها بالمدام المروق

تزق بنيها بالمدام المروق

And it opened its jaws, then bit a dove

It opened its lips and bit a dove

that feeds her young with clarified wine.

That tore apart her chicks with a sharp beak.