لاحَ لَهُ بارِقٌ فَأَرَّقَهُ

فَباتَ يَرعى النُجومَ مُكتَئِبا

A lightning flashed, stirring him awake,

So he spent the night shepherding the stars, depressed,

يُطيعُهُ الطَرفُ عِندَ دَمعَتِهِ

حَتّى إِذا حاوَلَ الرُقادَ أَبى

His eyelids obeyed him when he wept

But when he tried to sleep, they refused.