ومُنغَمِسٍ في صِبغَةِ اللَّيل يَمْتَطي

إِلى آجَلِ الآسادِ قَيْدَ الأَوابِدِ

Immersed in the dye of night rides

To the end of the lions, chained like monks,

يُختِّمُ يُمناهُ قَبيعَةُ صَارِمٍ

لما قَد طَغى مِن سُنْبُلِ الهامِ حاصِدِ

With his right hand the sword-bearer seals

When the wheat of passion has overgrown its reaper.

يَكِرُّ فَكَم جِسمٍ عَلى الأَرضِ ساقِطٍ

صَريعٍ وَكَم روحٍ إلى الجوِّ صاعِدِ

How it turns, how many bodies fallen on earth,

Slain, and how many souls risen to air,

وأُسْدٍ تصيرُ الأُسْدُ كالبَهْمِ عِندَها

إذا ما الظُّبى خَطّتْ رُبوعَ القلائِدِ

Lions, whom at her approach the lions become

Like cattle, when the antelopes mark the meadows.

أطَلْتَ وقد حانَ الجلادُ سكونَها

بِقَولِكَ للأَبطالِ هَل مِن مُجالِدِ

You have delayed, and now is the stillness of the executioner,

Say to the heroes, “Is there one who will fight?”

وَرَدتَ فَكَم حَظٍّ مِنَ الفَضلِ باهِرٍ

لَدَيكَ وَكَم خَفضٍ مِنَ العَيشِ بارِدِ

You have returned, how much glorious fortune

You have, and how much coolness of life.

ثَناؤُكَ في الآفاقِ أَركَبَني المُنَى

وَغَرّبَني عَنْ مَوْطِني المُتَباعِدِ

Your praise in the horizons has mounted me on wishes,

And estranged me from my distant home.

وقد قِسْتُ أعوامي الَّتي سَلفَت فما

وَفَيْنَ بِيَومٍ مِن لِقائِكَ واحِدِ

I have measured out my years that went by, but not

One day of meeting with you has passed.