وَلَيلَةِ لَيلٍ قَد رَفَعتُ سَناءَها

بِآكِلَةٍ لِلثاقِبِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

And on a night of darkest night I raised its brightness

With fuel for the piercing flames kindled bright

وَدَهماءَ مِغضابٍ عَلى اللَحمِ نَبَّهَت

عُيوناً عَنِ الأَضيافِ لَيسَت بِرُقَّدِ

And pitch-dark anger over meat aroused

Eyes from guests not lightly closed

إِذا أُطعِمَت أُمَّ الهَشيمَةِ أَرزَمَت

كَما أَرزَمَت أُمُّ الحُوارِ المُجَلَّدِ

When the mother of kindling is fed she flickers

As flickers the mother of preserved wood

إِذا ما سَدَدنا بِالهَشيمِ فُروجَها

رَأى كُلُّ سارٍ ضَوءَها غَيرَ مُخمَدِ

When we plug its openings with kindling

Each passer sees its light unquenched

وَسارٍ قَتَلتَ الجوعَ عَنهُ بِضَربَةٍ

أَتانا طُروقاً بِالحُسامِ المُهَنَّدِ

And a passer whom you killed his hunger with one blow

Came to us bringing swords with honed blade

عَلى ساقِ مِقحادٍ جَعَلنا عَشاءَهُ

شَطائِبَ مِن حُرِّ السَنامِ المُسَرهَدِ

On the shank of spindly wood we made his dinner

Branches from hot spear wood made bare

وَطارِقِ لَيلٍ قَد أَتاني وَساقَهُ

إِلَيَّ سَنا ناري وَكَلبٍ مُعَوَّدِ

And a knocker in the night who came legs leading

To me, years of my fire and accustomed hound

وَمُستَنبِحٍ أَوقَدتُ ناري لِصَوتِهِ

بِلا قَمَرٍ يَسري وَلا ضَوءِ فَرقَدِ

And one who barks I lit my fire to his voice

With no wandering moon or scattered light

وَنارٍ رَفَعناها لِمَن يَبتَغي القِرى

عَلى مُشرِفٍ فَوقَ الجَراثيمِ موقَدِ

And a fire we raised for one seeking shelters

On overlook above the land kindled