لاعَبَ تِلكَ الريحَ ذاكَ اللَهَبُ

فَعادَ عَينَ الجِدِّ ذاكَ اللَعِبُ

That breeze played with that flame

And turned the serious eye into play

وَباتَ في مَسرى الصَبا يَتبَعُهُ

فَهوَ لَها مُضطَرِمٌ مُضطَرِبُ

It spent the night following the zephyr

So it was compelled and perturbed by it

ساهَرتُهُ أَحسِبُهُ مُنتَشِياً

يَهُزُّ عِطفَيهِ هُناكَ الطَرَبُ

Its sleeplessness makes me think it is awake

Swaying its shoulders there is rapture

لَو جاءَهُ مُنتَقِدٌ لَما دَرى

أَلَهَبٌ مُتَّقِدٌ أَم ذَهَبُ

If a critic came, it wouldn't know

Whether it was a flaming flame or gold

تَلثُمُ مِنهُ الريحُ خَدّاً خَجِلاً

حَيثُ الشَرارُ أَعيُنٌ تَرتَقِبُ

The wind kisses its cheek shyly

Where embers are eyes waiting

في مَوقِدٍ قَد رَقرَقَ الصُبحُ بِهِ

ماءً عَلَيهِ مِن نُجومٍ حَبَبُ

In a hearth where the dawn sparkled over it

With water from stars it fancied

مُنقَسِمٌ بَينَ رَمادٍ أَزرَقٍ

وَبَينَ جَمرٍ خَلفَهُ يَلتَهِبُ

Divided between blue ashes

And embers behind it blazing

كَأَنَّما خَرَّت سَماءٌ فَوقَهُ

وَاِنكَدَرَت لَيلاً عَلَيهِ شُهُبُ

As if a sky fell upon it

And stars poured down on it at night