Claude 2

  1. مِن لَيلَةٍ لِلرَعدِ فيها صَرخَةٌ

    لاتُستَطابُ وَلِلحَيا إيقاعُ

    From a night when thunder roared

    A shriek not to be endured, and the serpent's rhythm

  2. خَلَعَت عَلَيَّ بِها رِداءَ غَمامَةٍ

    ريحٌ تُهَلهِلُهُ هُناكَ صَناعُ

    It cast off on me a cloak of clouds

    The wind there loosening its edges

  3. وَالصُبحُ قَد صَدَعَ الظَلامَ كَأَنَّهُ

    وَجهٌ وَضيءٌ شَفَّ عَنهُ قِناعُ

    And dawn had cracked the darkness as though

    It were a bright face from which a mask fell away

  4. فَرَفَلتُ في سَمَلِ الدُجى وَكَأَنَّما

    قَزَعُ السَحابِ بِجانِبَيهِ رِقاعُ

    So I sauntered in the darkness of nightfall as though

    The rending clouds on either side were rags

  5. وَدَفَعتُ في صَدرِ الدُجى عَن مَطلَبٍ

    بَيني وَبَينَ الدَهرِ فيهِ قِراعُ

    And I lunged into the darkness' chest for something

    Between me and time there was clashing

  6. وَقَبَضتُ ذَيلي رَغبَةً عَن مَعشَرٍ

    عوجِ الطِباعِ كَأَنّهُم أَضلاعُ

    And I gathered in my train loathing a tribe

    Crooked in nature as though they were ribs

  7. جارينَ في شَوطِ العِنادِ كَأَنَّهُم

    سَيلٌ تَلاطَمَ مَوجُهُ دَفّاعُ

    Rushing in reckless obstinacy like a torrent

    Whose surging waves were charging cavalry

  8. يَرمونَ أَعطافي بِنَظرَةِ إِحنَةٍ

    وُقِدَت كَما تُذكي العُيونَ سَباعُ

    They stab my flanks with scornful glances

    Kindled as predators' eyes ignite when ravenous

  9. أَفرَغتُ مِن كَلِمي عَلى أَكبادِهِم

    قَطراً لَهُ أَسماعُهُم أَقماعُ

    I emptied my words into their livers

    A dripping their ears were funnels for

  10. وَوَصَلتُ مابَيني وَبَينَ مُحَمَّدٍ

    حَتّى كَأَنّا مِعصَمٌ وَذِراعُ

    And I connected myself to Muhammad

    As though we were wrist and forearm

  11. فَظَفِرتُ مِنهُ عَلى المَشيبِ بِصاحِبٍ

    خَلَفِ الشَبابِ فَلي إِلَيهِ نِزاعُ

    I gained through him in agedness a companion

    Beyond youth so contention pulls me to him

  12. قَد كُنتُ أُغلي في اِبتِياعِ وِدادِهِ

    لَو أَنَّ أَعلاقَ الوِدادِ تُباعُ

    I would boil in purchasing his love

    If only the ties of love were sold

  13. وَإِلَيكَها غَرّاءَ لَولا حُسنُها

    لَم تُفتَقِ الأَبصارُ وَالأَسماعُ

    And to you, coy one, were I to woo

    Eyes and ears would not be opened

  14. عَبِقَت بِها في كُلِّ كَفٍّ زَهرَةٌ

    فُتِقَت لَها مِن خَمسِها أَقماعُ

    With it the palms' every handful smells of flowers

    Unfurled for it from its five petals like funnels