قَد أَغتَدي وَالصُبحُ مُحمَرُّ الطُرَر

وَاللَيلُ تَحدوهُ تَباشيرُ السَحَر

The dawn has risen, morning blushes crimson,

I venture forth while the dawn wears crimson fringes,

And the night is heralded by whispers of dawn.

And the night is driven back by the heralds of daybreak,

وَفي تَواليهِ نُجومٌ كَالسُرَر

بِسَحَقِ الميعَةِ مَيّالِ العُذَر

In its progression, stars like lanterns,

While in its wake the stars remain like scattered lamps,

With the splendor of the haloed moon inclined to excuse.

On a steed of towering vigor, swaying in his tack,

كَأَنَّهُ يَومَ الرِهانِ المُحتَضِر

طاوٍ غَدا يَنفُضُ صيبانَ المَطَر

As though it were the day of the decrepit wager,

As though, on the day of the race, he is all-present,

A tomorrow shaking off the drops of rain,

Lean-bellied, rising to shake off the beads of rain,

عَن زَفِّ مِلحاحٍ بَعيدِ المُنكَدَر

أَقنى يَظَلُّ طَيرُهُ عَلى حَذَر

From the undulating gait of a distant, moaning camel,

From the plumage of a relentless diver, swooping from on high,

Whose burdened bird circles warily overhead,

Hook-beaked, holding the birds beneath him in dread,

يَلُذنَ مِنهُ تَحتَ أَفنانِ الشَجَر

مِن صادِقِ الوَعدِ طَروحٍ بِالنَظَر

Sheltering beneath the boughs of trees,

As they seek refuge from him under the branches of trees,

That sincerely promise with a glance,

From one true to his promise, casting his vision far,

كَأَنَّما عَيناهُ في وَقبَي حَجَر

بَينَ مَآقٍ لَم تُخَرَّق بِالإِبَر

As though their eyes were set in solid rock,

As if his eyes were set within hollows of stone,

Between impenetrable heights, unpierced by needles.

Between eyelids that were never pierced by needles.