مَرَرتُ بِمُطرابِ الغَداةِ كَأَنَّها

مَرَرتُ بِمُطرابِ الغَداةِ كَأَنَّها

تَعلُ مَعَ الإِشراقِ راحاً مُفَلفَلا

تَعلُ مَعَ الإِشراقِ راحاً مُفَلفَلا

I passed by a morning songbird, as though she

I passed by the early-morning singers, as if

were taking draughts of peppered wine at sunrise.

They learnt with the dawn a fragrant trill,

مُنَمَّرَةٌ كَدراءِ تَحسَبُ لَونَها

مُنَمَّرَةٌ كَدراءِ تَحسَبُ لَونَها

تَجَلَّلَ مِن جِلدِ السَحابَةِ مَفصِلا

تَجَلَّلَ مِن جِلدِ السَحابَةِ مَفصِلا

She is mottled, dusky-gray; you would think her color

Speckled like the black partridge, you’d think its hue

had wrapped itself in a piece of a cloud's skin.

Was coloured from a rain cloud’s polished skin.

بَدَت تَجتَلي لِلعَينِ طَوقاً مُمَسَّكاً

بَدَت تَجتَلي لِلعَينِ طَوقاً مُمَسَّكاً

وَطَرفاً كَما تَرنو الغَزالَةُ أَكحَلا

وَطَرفاً كَما تَرنو الغَزالَةُ أَكحَلا

She appeared, displaying to the eye a musk-dark collar

It seemed to bare its throat-band for my eyes,

and a kohl-rimmed eye, gazing like a gazelle.

And an eyelash fine as a gazelle’s kohl’d rim,

لَها ذَنَبٌ وافي الجَوانِبِ مِثلَ ما

لَها ذَنَبٌ وافي الجَوانِبِ مِثلَ ما

تُقَشِّرُ طَلعاً أَو تُجَرِّدُ مَنصِلا

تُقَشِّرُ طَلعاً أَو تُجَرِّدُ مَنصِلا

She has a tail, full along its sides, like

With a tail both sides the equal that strips bare

a palm-bud you peel or a blade you unsheathe.

A flowering twig or plucks a fruitful stem.

إِذا حَلَّقَت في الجَوِّ خِلتَ جَناحَها

إِذا حَلَّقَت في الجَوِّ خِلتَ جَناحَها

يَرُدُّ صَفيراً أَو يُحَرِّكُ جَلجَلا

يَرُدُّ صَفيراً أَو يُحَرِّكُ جَلجَلا

When she soars in the air, you would think her wing

When it took to the air it left me watching

echoes a whistle or sets a little bell jingling.

Its wings beat out a murmur or soft jingle.