كَأَنَّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ زُرقُ أَسِنَّةٍ

بِها كُلُّ مَن فَوقَ التُرابِ طَعينُ

The stars of night are like blue lances

With which all above the dust complain,

وَلَولا عُيونٌ حاسِراتٌ مَتى رَأَت

مُقيماً بِوَجهِ الأَرضِ قيلَ مَعينُ

And but for eyes that pine with parting's pain,

Who, fixed on earth, had called the earth a main?

وَلائِحُ هَذا الفَجرِ سَيفٌ مُجَرَّدٌ

أَعانَ بِهِ صَرفَ الزَمانِ مُعينُ

This dawn, with bared sword gleaming bright,

Who hath sped on the turns of time amain,

كَأَن قَد حَوَتهُم لَعنَةٌ مِن مَليكِهِم

وَمَن لَم يُطِع مَولاهُ فَهوَ لَعينُ

As though they by their king's curse were overta'en

And whoso thwarts his lord is cursed again.

وَأَروَحُ مِن عَينٍ يَظَلُّ اِنتِسابُها

إِلى الإِنسِ وَحشٌ بِالمَهامِهِ عينُ

Lighter of spirit than eyes whose lineage

To man is lost through savages in grain.