هِذِه الشَّمسُ آذَنَتْ بِالسُّفورِ

بَعْدَ سَبْقِ الآيَاتِ بالتَّبشيرِ

This sun has announced the dawn

After the signs have given good tidings

فَتَلَقَّى ظُهُورَهَا كُلُّ حَيٍّ

بِنَشِيدِ التَّهلِيلِ وَالتَّكبِيرِ

So every living being has received its light

With hymns of praise and sanctification

هِيَ بِكْرُ الْوُجُودِ لاَ يَتَمَلَّى

مُجْتلاَهَا إِلاَّ شهُودُ البُكُورِ

It is the first creation, it does not linger

Its beauty is witnessed only by the vigilant

أَرَأَيْتَ الصَّباحَ يَكْشِفُ عَنْهَا

كِلَّةَ اللَّيْلِ مِنْ حِيَالِ السَّرِيرِ

Have you seen the dawn uncover

The garment of night from the bedsides

فَتَهَاوَى سِتْرُ الدَّجَى وَتَوَارَى

مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ مَنْثُورِ

So the veil of gloom fell and hid

What pearls it contained scattered about

حَيَّت الكَوْنَ حِيْنَ لاَحَتْ فَأَحْيَتْ

كُلَّ عَوْدٍ لَهَا جَدِيدُ نُشُورِ

It gave life to the universe when it appeared

Reviving every compliant soul

حَيْثُمَا طَالَعَتْ مَظِنَّة خِصْبٍ

أَسْفَرَ التُرْبُ عَنْ نَبَاتٍ نَضِيرِ

Wherever it has shone expectantly

The soil has revealed peerless vegetation

وَانْجَلَى لَحْظُهَا عَنْ الزَّهَرِ

الغَضِّ وَعَذْبِ الْجَنَى وَطِيبِ العَبِيرِ

And its glance has shone on the flowers

Fresh, sweet fruit and fine fragrance

وَعَوَالِي النَّخيلِ خُضْرِ الأَكَالِيلِ

زَوَاهِي المَرْجَانِ حَوْلَ النُّحورِ

And the tall palm trees, green wreaths

Garden beds of coral around the streams

بَرَزَتْ فِي الغَدَاةِ غَادَةُ وَادِي

النِّيلِ تُخْفِي جَمَالَهَا فِي الْحَبِيرِ

A maiden of the Nile valley appeared at dawn

Hiding her beauty in the ink

جَثْلَةُ الحَاجِبَيْنِ فَاحِمَةُ

الفَوْدَيْنِ تَرْنُو بِطَرْفِ ظَبْيٍ غَزِيرِ

With frowning eyebrows, bright eyes

Glancing with a flowing, coy gaze

عَبْلَةُ الْمِعْطَفَيْنِ نَاهِضَةُ

الثَّديَيْنِ يُزْرِي أَدِيمُهَا بِالحَرِيرِ

The smooth slope of her breasts rises

Her skin gleams with silk

لَوْنَها ظَاهِرُ انْتِسَابٍ إِلى

الخَمْرِ لَهُ مِثْلُ فِعْلِهَا فِي الصدُورِ

Her color openly betrays descent

From wine, having its effect in hearts

غَضَّ مِنْ صَوْتِهَا الْحَيَاءُ فَأَحْبِبْ

بِحَيَاءٍ فِيهِ حَيَاةُ الشعُورِ

Modesty has muted her voice, so love

The life in that shyness of feelings

أَقْبَلَ الْحَارِثُ المُبْكِرُ يَرْعَى

حَرْثَهُ وَالفَلاَحُ فِي التَّبكِيرِ

The early farmer went to pasture his field

And the farmer set out at first light

يَلْتَقِي مِنْ يَدِ الصَّباحِ هَدَايَا

لَيْلِهِ النَّائِمِ الأَمِينِ القَرِيرِ

They receive from the hand of morning

Gifts of their peaceful, honest night

فَارَقَ الدَّارَ مُنْشِداً لَحْنَهُ الجَرَّا

رَ مُسْتَمْهِلَ الخُطَى فِي الْمَسِيرِ

The traveler left home singing his song

With slow, limping steps on his journey

إِنْ دَنَا الْهَمُّ مِنْهُ أَقْصَاهُ عَنْهُ

ضَحِكُ النَّبتِ أَوْ تَنَاغِي الطيُورِ

If worries drew near he dismissed them

With the laughter of plants or birdsong

وَإِذَا مَا شَكَا هَوَاهُ أَعَادَتْ

مُرْضِعُ الحَقْلِ شَدْودَهُ بِالْخَرِيرِ

And if he complained of his love the wetnurse

Of the field restored his fervor with murmuring

لَقِيَتْهَا الأَهْرَامُ مُبْدِيَةً مِنْ

صَلَفٍ مَا تُكنُّه فِي الضَّميرِ

The solemn obelisks encountered her

Showing in arrogance what they hide inside

غَرَّهَا أَنَّها قَدِيمَة عَهْدٍ

بِذُكَاءٍ وَالْفَخْرُ دَاعِي الغُرُورِ

She fooled them for being ancient

With intelligence and pride calls vanity

فَتَعَالَتْ بِهَامِهَا مَا اسْتَطَاعَتْ

وَأَطَالَتْ مِنْ ظِلِّهَا المَنْشُورِ

So with all her might she towered over them

And extended the shade of her monument

غَيْرُهَا فِي الْجِبَالِ إِنْ تَاهَ عُجْباً

غَضَّ مِنْ عُجْبِهِ جِوَارُ حَفِيرِ

Others in the mountains, if blown up by conceit

Their awe was reduced by a pit nearby

كَمْ هَوَتْ دُونَهَا رَواسٍ فَأَجْلَتْ

عَنْ رُكَامٍ فِي مُسْتَقَرٍ حَقِيرِ

How many heads have fallen below her

Clearing rubble in a miserable abode

ثَمِلَ الكَرْنكُ الوَقُورُ اصْطِبَاحاً

فَتَرَاءَى فِي المَاءِ غَيْرَ وَقُورِ

The royal hawk puffed up with self-importance

And saw in the water other than dignified

وَمَشَى النورُ فِي حَنَايَاهُ يَغْزُو

مَا نَجَا مِنْ شتائِتِ الدَّيْجُورِ

And light walked in its crevices, invading

What remnants remained of gloomy ruins

وَتَنَاجَتْ أَشْبَاحُ آلِهَةٍ مَا

تُوا وَفَانِينَ خُلّدُوا بِالْقُبُورِ

And shades of passed gods conversed

Those who were and perished, buried in graves

وَتَلاَقَتْ وُجُوهُ رَبٍّ وَمَرْبُو

بٍ وَتالِي رُقىً وَصَالِي بَخورِ

And the faces of gods and holy men met

Climbing ascents and climbing sweet smoke

كُلُّ ذَاكَ التَّارِيخِ خَفَّ عَلَى سَا

قٍ بِذِكْرَاهُ مِنْ قَدِيمِ الدهُورِ

All that history has faded for an instant

With its memories from beginnings of time

كشَفَ الْفجْرُ عَنْ جنَادِلَ سُودٍ

ضَمَّها الغَمْرُ مِنْ بَنَاتِ ثَبِيرِ

Dawn uncovered black braids

Dyed by the flood, Bint Thabeer’s daughters

تَتَراءَى فِيهَا مَلاَمِحُ بِيضٌ

حَيْثُمَا صَودِفَتْ مَوَاقِعُ نُورِ

In them white features appeared

Wherever traces of light were tossed

شَفَّ مِنْهَا العُبَابُ عَنْ فَحَمٍ طَا

فٍ جَلَتْهُ صَيَاقِلُ الْبَلُّورِ

The haze cleared from darkened ivory

Polished by translucent chisels

قامَ أُنْسُ الوُجُودِ يُؤْنِسُهَا قُرْ

باً وَأَعْزِزْ بِمِثْلِهِ فِي الْقُصُورِ

The pleasure of existence came to console them

And fortify the like in palaces

كُلُّ صَرْحٍ عَلاَ فَقصَّرَ عَنْهُ

مَا عَليْهِ مَعَرَّةٌ فِي الْقُصُورِ

Every towering mansion fell short before it

Whatever glory is known in palaces

لَمْ يطُلْ فَخْرَهُ الْقَدِيمَ سوَى مَا

أَحْدَثَتْ آيَةُ الزَّمَانِ الأَخِيرِ

Its ancient pride did not last long but for

The final miracle of time

أَرَأَيْتَ الْخَزَّانَ يَنْبُو بِهِ النِّيلُ

فَيَطْغَى فِي الْجَانِبِ المَغْمُورِ

Have you seen the reservoir overflowing with the Nile

Flooding to the submerged side

وَصَلَ الشَّامِخَيْنِ يُمْنَى وَيُسْرَى

وَثَنَى الْبَحْرَ طَاغِياً كَالْغَدِيرِ

And reaching the two heights, right and left

Bending the sea bursting like rapids

كُلُّ عَيْنٍ مِنْهُ تَصِبُّ صَبِيباً

كَالأَتِيِّ المُجَلْجَلِ المَحْدُورِ

From it each spring pours a stream

Like the pure, stirring, mingled wine

يَرْتَمِي مَاؤُهَا مُثِيراً رَشَاشَاً

مِنْ عُصَافَاتِ لُؤْلُؤٍ مَذْرُورِ

Its water surges arousing a spray

Of scattered pearls, some split, some whole

وَعَلَى مُنْحَنَاهُ قَوْسُ سَحَابٍ

تَتَبَاهَى بِكُلِّ لَوْنٍ مُنِيرِ

And above its curve is the bow of a cloud

Boasting with every radiant color

يَا عُبَاباً يُلْقِي بِفَيْضِ نِدَاهُ

فِي عَقِيقٍ حَصَبَاؤُهُ مِنْ سَعِيرِ

O clouds casting its abundance

In carnelian rubble from hellfire

حَبَّذَا الدَّمْعُ مِنْ عُيُونِكَ يَهْمِي

ضَاحِكاً بَيْنَ عَابِسَاتِ الصخُورِ

How excellent are the tears from your eyes smiling

Laughing among frowning rocks

وَعجِيبٌ هَدِيرُ مَجْرَاكَ لَكِن

رُب مَجْدٍ تَرْتِيلُهُ بِهَدِيرِ

And strange is the roar of your torrents but

Much glory has a murmuring paean

ذَاكَ مَجْدُ النِّيلِ الْعَظِيمِ فَأَوْقِعْ

أَلْفَ صَوتٍ وَغَنِّها بِزَئِيرِ

That is the glory of the great Nile, so unleash

A thousand sounds and sing with fervor

كُلُّ هَذِي الآيَاتِ مُبْعَثُ وَحْيٍ

لِلنَّظيمِ المُجَادِ أَوِ لِلنَّثيرِ

All these signs are the inspiration

For the composer or the lyricist

كُلُّ هَذِي الآيَاتِ تُؤْخَذُ عَنْهَا

رَائِعَاتُ التمْثِيلِ وَالتَّصويرِ

All these signs are taken from them

Marvels of imagery and depiction

كُلُّ هَذِي الآيَاتِ يُجْمَعُ مِنْهَا

نَغَمُ الحُزْنِ أَوْ نَشِيدُ السرُورِ

All these signs together produce

The melody of sadness or song of bliss

مُعْجِزَاتٌ فِي كلِّ آن تَرَاهَا

بَاهِرَاتِ التنْويعِ وَالتَّغيِيرِ

Miracles at every moment you see

Wondrous in variation and change

إِنَّ تِلْكَ الَّتي تَرَاها صَبَاحاً

نَبْتَةً كَالزُّمْرُّدِ المَوْشُورِ

That which you see in the morning

As a sprout like polished emerald

سَتَرَاهَا وَقَدْ تَبَدَّتْ عَليْهَا

هَنَةٌ شِبْهُ دُرَّةٍ فِي الْهَجِيرِ

You will see forms on it

Like a pearl in an oyster

وَتَرَى فِي الأَصِيلِ يَاقُوتَةً قَا

نئَةَ اللَّوْنِ آذنَتْ بِالظهُورِ

And in the evening a ruby appears

Announcing its emergence

تَرَى كُلَّمَا رَجَعْتَ إِلَيْها

عَجَباً مِن جَدِيدِهَا المَنْظُورِ

You will find each time you return to it

A wonder among its visible novelties

جَلَّ مَنْ أَبْدَعَ الْجَمَالَ أَفَانِينَ

وَأَعْطَى الصَّغيرَ حَظَّ الكَبِيرِ

He who created beauty in passing things

And gave insignificance a great due

يَأْخُذ الصَّانِعُ المُوَفَّق مِنْهَا

بالغَريبِ المُسْتَظْرَف المَأْثُورِ

The gifted artisan takes from it

The wondrous, refined, unique

فَهُوَ الْفَنُّ فِطْنَةً وَاخْتيَاراً

وَابْتدَاعاً عَلَى مِثَال الْقَديرِ

For it is art in perception and selection

And innovation in the image of the Able