عارَضتُ فيهِ النَجمَ فَوقَ مُطَهَّمٍ

يَهوي لِطَيِّئِهِ هُوِيِّ الأَعقَبِ

I compared the star above the evening twilight

Plunging towards its setting with the swiftness of a darting ostrich,

ذاوي العَسيبِ قَصيرُهُ ضافي السَبيبِ

طَويلُهُ صافي الأَديمِ مُحَبَّبِ

Whose short neck bends as it drinks and whose long one is erect and beloved,

Like a light shining among the grass astounding with its beauty,

كَالنورِ بَينَ العُشبِ يَبهُرُ حُسنَهُ

بَينَ الجِيادِ إِذا بَدا في مَوكِبِ

Among the steeds when it appears in a procession,

With four birds flying alongside as if attached by its length to a cord,

وَتَطيرُ أَربَعَةٌ بِهِ في أَبطُحٍ

فَكَأَنَّهُ مِن طولِها في مَرقَبِ

Deafening is the thunder of its hooves, deafening the clash

Of stallions at stud,

صُمَّ الحَوافِرِ شُرَّبٌ صُمَّ الصَفا

مِنها الأَهِلَّةَ في الصَفا وَالصَلبِ

Its forelock streaming as if melting its face

Though the drizzle does not wash it away,

وَكَأَنَّ غُرَّتَهُ تُفَضِّضُ وَجهَهُ

وَالنَقعُ يُذهِبُهُ وَإِن لَم يُذهَبِ

In its fetlocks and ankles is the darkness of clustering stars

Stretching out and lying down,

وَكَأَنَّ في أَكفالِهِ وَتَليلِهِ

غَسقَ النُجومِ فَتَستَطيلُ وَتَرتَبي

Its legs like undisturbed water, its body a goblet of wine unmixed,

Sought after, it eludes, seeking, it seizes, never failing in the quest,

وَكَأَنَّما الأَرساغُ ماءٌ لَم يَسِل

وَالجِسمُ كَأسُ مُدامَةٍ لَم يُقطَبِ

The gales it outraces, the lightning is a prince

In the fury of its flaming ardour,

لَم يُطَّلَب إِلّا يَفوتُ وَيَطَّلِب

إِلّا يَفوزُ فَلَم يَخِب في مَطلَبِ

Its girth encompasses the circle of a house on the plain with leaning pillars.

وَالعاصِفاتُ حَسيرَةٌ وَالبارِقا

تُ أَميرَةٌ في شِدَّةِ المُتَلَهِّبِ

وَكَأَنَّما يَحوي مَدارُ حِزامِهِ

أَحناءَ بَيتٍ بِالعَراءِ مُطَنَّبِ