سرَت سَحَراً والنجمُ للغرب مائلُ

وَلَونُ الدُجى من رَهبة الصُبح حائلُ

She walked at dawn while the star leaned west

And the color of dusk was separating from the awe of morning

وَقَد همَّتِ الظَلماءُ في الأُفق بالسُرى

كَما همَّ بالسَير الخَليط المزايلُ

And the darkness intended in the horizon to journey

As the mixed company intended to travel

كأَنَّ النجومَ الزُهرَ عيسٌ نوافرٌ

كأَنَّ الدجى ركبٌ من الزِنج قافِلُ

As if the stars are abundant jasmine

As if the dusk is a caravan of Indians

كأَنَّ الثريّا إذ تَجَلَّت خواتِمٌ

تحلَّت بها من كفِّ خودٍ أَنامِلُ

As if the Pleiades when they appeared were rings

Adorned with it from a palm of a sleepy fingers

كأَنَّ سهيلاً للنُجوم مُراقِبٌ

كأَنَّ السُهى صَبٌّ من العشق ناحلُ

As if Suhail is a watcher to the stars

As if the meteors are a pouring love sick

كأَنَّ عَريَّ الأفق بيداءَ سملقٌ

كأَنَّ مَبادي الصُبح فيه مَناهِلُ

As if the horizon is a barren highland

As if the water sources of dawn in it are waterholes

فوافَت يباريها الصَباحُ مماثلا

وَهَل يَستَوي مثلين حالٍ وعاطلُ

So it was met by the dawn paralleling it

And can two similar conditions be equal, one scant and one abundant?

عجبتُ لمسراها وقد حالَ دونَها

شعوبٌ تَسامى للعُلى وَقبائِلُ

I wondered at its course though nations lofty and tribes

Have stood in its way

وشيمَت لديها مرهفاتٌ بواترٌ

وهُزَّت عليها مُشرعاتٌ ذَوابلُ

Punishing with it soft pliant swords

And unsheathing on it quivering arrows

كَسا الجوَّ منها نفحةٌ عنبريَّةٌ

فنمَّت بريّاها الصَبا والشَمائِلُ

The air was perfumed with its aromatic scent

So its banners were waved by the morning breeze and carriers

مهاةٌ لها في كُلِّ قَلبٍ مراتعٌ

وَبَدر في كُلِّ قَلبٍ منازلُ

Passionate love for it in every heart are meadows

And a full moon in every heart are homes

تبدَّت فَقُلتُ الصبحُ أَبيضُ ساطعٌ

وَماسَت فَقُلتُ الغصنُ أَخضَرُ مائِلُ

It appeared so I said dawn is bright radiant

And it disappeared so I said the branch is green leaning

تكنَّفها أَترابُها فكأَنَّما

هيَ البَدرُ بين الأَنجم الزُهر ماثلُ

Her friends surrounded her as if

She is the full moon between stars equal

عليهنّ من ضوءِ الصَباح براقعٌ

وَمن غَسق اللَيل البَهيم غَلائِلُ

On them from the dawn light are veils

And from the ignorant night shadows

فَما راعَني إِلّا سَلامُ وداعِها

وأَدمعُها في وجنتيها هواملُ

So I was not aware except her goodbye greeting

And her tears on her cheeks are trickling

وَقامَت لضمّي والحليُّ مُرِنَّةٌ

وقد صُمَّ منها قُلبُها والخَلاخلُ

And she stood up to my embrace and the trinket

Swaying while her heart and anklets from it are silent

هناك اِلتَوَينا للعناق كما اِلتَوى

قضيبانِ في رَوضٍ وريق وذابلُ

There we turned to hug each other as two rods turn

In a garden, leafy and withering

وَراحَت تَهادى في خُطاها تأَوُّداً

كَما يَتَهادى الشاربُ المُتَمايلُ

And she went swaying in her steps gently

As the drinking companion sways tottering

فَلِلَّهِ وَصلٌ ما أَقلَّ زمانَه

كذلك أَزمانُ الوصال قَلائِلُ

By God the days of union were short

That’s how days of union are few