ومارِقَةٍ مَرْقَ السِّهامِ تَضُمُّها

ومارِقَةٍ مَرْقَ السِّهامِ تَضُمُّها

قَرارَةُ مَسجورٍ طمَى ثم عَرمَضا

قَرارَةُ مَسجورٍ طمَى ثم عَرمَضا

And many a fish, darting as arrows dart, is enclosed

Like arrows set loose from the bowstring's grip

by the basin of a brimming pool that swelled, then grew green with algae.

She sways, then steadies, drunk with her beauty.

بعَثْتُ لها جِسماً لِحاظُ عُيونِه

بعَثْتُ لها جِسماً لِحاظُ عُيونِه

إذا أَعرَضَتْ حَتْفٌ لهنَّ تَعرَّضا

إذا أَعرَضَتْ حَتْفٌ لهنَّ تَعرَّضا

I sent toward it a body whose eyes’ glances,

I sent her a body for her glances' sheath -

when they turned aside, were death that confronted them.

When shyly she glanced, it glanced back seductively.

ترحَّلَ عن أوطانهِ كلُّ مُكرَهٍ

ترحَّلَ عن أوطانهِ كلُّ مُكرَهٍ

إذا بانَ عن أوطانِه ساعةً قضَى

إذا بانَ عن أوطانِه ساعةً قضَى

Each departed its homeland against its will;

All hated things depart their native land,

if it left its homeland for an hour, it died.

If far from home a time, they're purified.

وكلُّ مَليحِ القَدِّ إنْ نَشَرَ الرَّدى

وكلُّ مَليحِ القَدِّ إنْ نَشَرَ الرَّدى

عليهِ رِداءٌ لاحَ فيه وأَوْمَضا

عليهِ رِداءٌ لاحَ فيه وأَوْمَضا

And every one of lovely form, if death spread

And every handsome youth whom Time lays waste

a cloak over it, shone and flashed within it.

Has a cloak that gleams, though tattered and threadbare.

كأنَّ يدَ المُرتادِ إذ ظَفِرَتْ بِه

كأنَّ يدَ المُرتادِ إذ ظَفِرَتْ بِه

مُجرِّدَةٌ منه سِناناً مُفَضَّضا

مُجرِّدَةٌ منه سِناناً مُفَضَّضا

As though the seeker’s hand, when it caught it,

As though the hand of one who loves him still

were unsheathing from it a silver-plated spearhead.

Had stripped it of him, torn to shreds.