هبت صبيات المزارع بكرة   

هبت صبيات المزارع بكرة

يخطرن بين السير والإسراء

يخطرن بين السير والإسراء

At dawn, the farm girls sprang forth,

The farm girls rose early in the morning,

Stepping gracefully, between a walk and a hurry.

Sauntering between walking and travel by night.

من كل عاصية النهود بها تقى   

من كل عاصية النهود بها تقى

مطواعة الأعطاف ذات حياء

مطواعة الأعطاف ذات حياء

Each proud-breasted, with piety within her,

Each with defiant breasts, piety within her,

Supple-limbed and full of modesty.

Supple of flank and endowed with modesty.

نادى بها البشراء حي على الجنى

نادى بها البشراء حي على الجنى

فغدت تلبي دعوة البشراء

فغدت تلبي دعوة البشراء

The heralds called to them, “Come to the picking!”

The heralds called to her: 'Come to the harvest!'

And off they went, answering the heralds’ call.

So she went forth, answering the heralds' call.

والقطن موف ضاحك ببياضه

والقطن موف ضاحك ببياضه

وصفائه من كدرة الغبراء

وصفائه من كدرة الغبراء

The cotton stood high, laughing in its whiteness,

And the cotton stood tall, smiling in its whiteness

Its purity free of the dusty earth’s murk.

And its purity, free of the dusty earth's murk.

يشققن مثل الستر من جنباته

يشققن مثل الستر من جنباته

ويخضن شبه البحر في الأثناء

ويخضن شبه البحر في الأثناء

They rent it from its sides as though it were a curtain,

They tear from its sides what resembles a curtain,

And waded through a semblance of the sea in its midst.

And wade through its midst as through a sea,

متغنيات من أهازيج الصبا

متغنيات من أهازيج الصبا

ما شاء وحي هوى وطيب هواء

ما شاء وحي هوى وطيب هواء

Singing songs of youth—

Singing, from the lilting songs of youth,

Whatever love’s inspiration and the sweet air willed.

Whatever love's inspiration and sweet air willed.

ينشدن من وصف المخيلة جلوة

ينشدن من وصف المخيلة جلوة

لعروس شعر زينة هيفاء

لعروس شعر زينة هيفاء

From imagination’s prompting they sang a bridal unveiling

They sing an unveiling drawn from imagination's portrayal

For poetry’s bride, an ornament slender and fair:

Of a bride of verse, lovely and slender-waisted:

حورية عيناء أبهى ما يرى

حورية عيناء أبهى ما يرى

في الغيد من حورية عيناء

في الغيد من حورية عيناء

A wide-eyed houri—the loveliest ever seen

A large-eyed houri, the most radiant to be seen

Among graceful maidens, of all wide-eyed houris.

Among graceful maidens, among large-eyed houris.

وفر الإله لها العطاء فلم يعد

وفر الإله لها العطاء فلم يعد

عن بابها عاف بغير عطاء

عن بابها عاف بغير عطاء

God made her giving plentiful, so never

God lavished bounty upon her, so never returned

Did a needy supplicant leave her door without a gift.

From her door a supplicant without a gift.

وبأمرها تعرى الحقول فتنثني

وبأمرها تعرى الحقول فتنثني

أم العراة بميرة وكساء

أم العراة بميرة وكساء

At her command the fields strip bare; then, in return,

And at her command the fields are stripped bare; then she returns,

The mother of the naked repays them with provisions and clothing.

Mother of the naked, with provisions and clothing.

تلك التي أكبرنها ونعتنها

تلك التي أكبرنها ونعتنها

بأحاسن الأوصاف والأسماء

بأحاسن الأوصاف والأسماء

She is the one they magnified and described

That woman, whom they revered and described

With the fairest attributes and names.

With the finest descriptions and names,

كانت عروس توهم فتحققت

كانت عروس توهم فتحققت

بصفاتها وغدت من الأحياء

بصفاتها وغدت من الأحياء

She was an imagined bride, then became real

Was a bride of fancy, then became real

In all her qualities, and became one of the living.

With her qualities, and joined the living.

أعرفتها فلقد أكون بمسمع

أعرفتها فلقد أكون بمسمع

منها أقول الشعر وهي إزائي

منها أقول الشعر وهي إزائي

Have you recognized her? For I may well be within

Have you recognized her? For I may well be within earshot

Her hearing as I recite poetry, while she stands before me.

Of her, reciting verse, while she is opposite me.