قَد أَغتَدي وَاللَيلُ داجٍ عَسكَرُه

وَالصُبحُ يَفري جُلَّهُ وَيَدحَرُه

The night has become dark as its army camps,

I venture forth while Night marshals its dark army,

And dawn races in, putting its all to flight.

And Dawn shears through its cloak and drives it back.

كَاللَهَبِ المُرتَجِّ طارَ شَرَرُه

بِأَحجَنِ الكَلّوبِ أَقنى مِنسَرُه

Like flaming sparks its light flares and darts,

Like a quivering flame whose sparks have flown,

Sheltering in the folds of its dark robe.

With a beak like a grappling hook, curved and aquiline.

مُعاوِدُ الإِقدامِ حينَ تَذمُرُه

أَحوى الظُهارِ جَسِدٌ مُعَذِّرُه

Returning to the attack when it dons its armor,

Accustomed to the onset whenever you urge him on,

A slender body concealed in its cloak.

Dark-plumed upon the back, with cheeks of rusty hue,

كَأَنَّما زَعفَرَهُ مُزَعفِرُه

لا يوإِلُ الأَبغَثَ مِنهُ حَذَرَه

As though its saffron color had dyed its coat,

As though a master dyer had steeped him in saffron.

The owl does not cease its cries of alarm.

The speckled prey finds no refuge through its caution;

حيناً يُساهيهِ وَحيناً يَدجُرُه

يُهوي لَهُ مَخالِباً تُشَرشِرُه

Now it draws close, now it shrinks away,

At times he beguiles it, and at times he strikes with rage.

Raking at it with sharp talons.

He hurls down talons that rend the flesh asunder,

طَوراً يُفَرّيهِ وَطَوراً يَنقُرُه

وَالسَربُ لا يَنفَعُهُ تَسَتُّرُه

Sometimes driving it off, sometimes pecking it,

Now he tears it open, and now he deals the blow.

And the flock cannot save it with its cover.

The flock finds no avail in its attempt to hide,

مِنَ الإِوَزِّ الخانِساتِ تَقفِرُه

صَكّاً إِذا جَدَّ بِهِ تَقَدُّرُه

From the lurking blue rock pigeons they harry it,

Among the cowering geese that he tracks across the void.

Hissing when it swoops down upon them.

A crushing collision, when his measure strikes true,

كَطالِبِ الأَوتارِ طُلَّت مِأَرُه

أَو لِمُحِلِّ النَحبِ كانَ يُذِرُه

Like a lute player trying out his strings,

Like a seeker of vengeance whose blood-debt remains unpaid,

Or a boy with his sling disturbing it.

Or one fulfilling a solemn vow he had sworn to keep.