لا تُحَدِّث سِواكَ نَفسٌ بِفَضلٍ

ذاكَ رَجعٌ عَنِ الأَماني بَعيدُ

Do not speak to yourself of any merit,

That is far from desires.

وَاِنجَلَت مِصرُ إِذ تَجَلّى عَروساً

وَكَأَنَّ الأَهرامَ فيها نُهودُ

And Egypt shone when she appeared as a bride,

As if her pyramids were breasts.

وَسَرى في سَحابَةٍ مِن عَجاجٍ

بَينَ كَفَّيهِ غَيثُها المَورودُ

And he rode on a cloud of dense fog,

Between his hands its pouring rain.

وَمِن الريحِ في يَدَيهِ عِنانٌ

وَعَلَيهِ مِنَ النُجومِ عُقودُ

And in his hands he held the reins of the wind,

And the stars were strung on him as necklaces.

وَاِنثَنى وَالزَمانُ يُنشِدُ فيهِ

هكَذا تَخدِمُ المُلوكَ السُعودُ

And time sang of him when he bent down

Thus do the noble serve kings.

أَنا مِن قائِمِ الحُسامِ نَذيرٌ

فَهوَ إِن قامَ فَالرُؤوسُ حَصيدُ

I am the warner of the swords' rising,

So if it rises, heads will be harvested.

هُوَ كَأسٌ وَسَكرَةُ المَوتِ قالَت

ذاكَ مِنّي ما كُنتَ مِنهُ تَحيدُ

It is a cup, and death's intoxication said

That is of me what you were trying to avoid.

وَمَتى يَلفِظُ العَدُوُّ بِقَولٍ

فَعَلَيهِ مِنهُ رَقيبٌ عَتيدُ

And whenever the enemy utters a word,

A watcher lies in wait for him.

وَإِذا رِشتَ بِالأَيادي جَناحي

فَمعَاني العَلاءِ مِمّا أَصيدُ

And when you wave with your hands my wings,

The meanings of the sublime are what I hunt.