فَما رَسمٌ شَجاني قَد

مَحَت آياتِ رَسمَيهِ

No drawing left its mark on me

Or wiped away its lines from me.

سَفورٌ دَرَّجَت ذَيلَينِ

في بوغاءِ قاعَيهِ

A yellow one whose train did crawl

Through muddy tracks so slimily.

هَتوفٌ حَرجَفٌ تَترى

عَلى تَلبيدِ ثَوبَيهِ

A howdah, O how intricate

Its saddlecloth's embroidery!

وَولّاجٌ مِنَ المُزنِ

دَنا نَوءُ سِماكَيهِ

A stallion of unmixed breed

Whose neigh is shrill and high.

أَتى مُثعَنجرَ الوَدقِ

بِجودٍ في خلالَيهِ

He came all sleek through falcons' claws

With generosity in his veins.

وَقَد أَحمَد بَرقاهُ

فَلا ذَمٌّ لِبَرقَيهِ

I praised his lightning—no reproach

Against his blinding light remains.

وَقَد جَلَّلَ رَعداهُ

فَلا ذَمٌّ لِرَعدَيهِ

His thunder I proclaimed sublime-

No fault in its loud roar obtains.

ثَجيجُ الرَعدِ ثَجّاجٍ

إِذا أَرخى نِطاقَيهِ

The bursting thunder when it dons

Its clouds' enveloping terrains

فَأَضحى دارِساً قَفراً

لِبَينونَةِ أَهليهِ

Rains down upon a desert, bare,

Exposing all its parents' stains.

غُلامٌ كرَّمَ الرّحم

نُ بِالتّطهيرِ جَدَّيهِ

A youth who honored well the womb

That brought his sires before these plains-

كَساهُ القَمرُ القمقا

مُ مِن نورِ سَنائيهِ

The moon itself bedecked him in

The brilliant garb it entertains,

وَقَد أَرصَنت مِن شِعري

وَقَوّمتُ عروضيهِ

And I have wrought in verse my love

And disciplined its metered chains.