ومغرب اللَونِ في مِسلاخ طاؤوس

ومغرب اللَونِ في مِسلاخ طاؤوس

فَيرُوزَجِيِّ بِصُنعِ اللَهِ مغروسِ

فَيرُوزَجِيِّ بِصُنعِ اللَهِ مغروسِ

And a marvel of color in a peacock’s skin,

The sunset colors in the Taoos slaughterhouse

Turquoise-hued, planted by God’s handiwork.

Are, through God's making, deeply rooted.

كأنَّما اختُلِسَت قَطعاً غَلائِلُهُ

كأنَّما اختُلِسَت قَطعاً غَلائِلُهُ

مِنَ الغَمائِمِ أو فَضل الحَناديسِ

مِنَ الغَمائِمِ أو فَضل الحَناديسِ

As though its thin robes had been snatched in pieces

Its braids seem to have been pilfered

From the clouds or the remnants of pitch-dark nights.

From the clouds, or linen left over.

شَختِ المآزر لاذِيّ الظهائرِ قد

شَختِ المآزر لاذِيّ الظهائرِ قد

أتاكَ يَرفُلُ في ثَوبٍ لَهُ سُوسي

أتاكَ يَرفُلُ في ثَوبٍ لَهُ سُوسي

Slender-girt, with silken outer garments, it has

The belts of the well-dressed have come to you

Come to you, strutting in a Sūsī robe of its own.

Strutting about in a garment of fine cloth.

كأنَّهُ كِسف أُفقٍ مالَهُ حُبُك

كأنَّهُ كِسف أُفقٍ مالَهُ حُبُك

أو لازَوَردٌ أو أذ ناب الطَواويسِ

أو لازَوَردٌ أو أذ ناب الطَواويسِ

As though it were a piece of sky without woven patterns,

As if it were the hem of a horizon that has no folds,

Or lapis lazuli, or the tails of peacocks.

Or a bouquet of flowers, or the fangs of snakes.

كأنَّ رشحَ سقيطِ الطَلِّ أوسَطَهُ

كأنَّ رشحَ سقيطِ الطَلِّ أوسَطَهُ

نَضحٌ يَمُدُّ على آثارِ تَدنِيس

نَضحٌ يَمُدُّ على آثارِ تَدنِيس

As though the moisture of fallen dew at its center

It seems that the dripping of melted tallow

Were a sprinkling spreading over marks of soiling.

Is a pouring that extends over traces of impurity.

لازالَ في مَجلِسِي أنا بِهَيئَتِهِ

لازالَ في مَجلِسِي أنا بِهَيئَتِهِ

ولا توخَّى اسمُه شملي ولا كيسي

ولا توخَّى اسمُه شملي ولا كيسي

May it ever remain in my own gathering, just as it is,

He still sits in my company in this condition,

And may its name target neither my gathered company nor my purse.

His name evades my protection and purse.