1. قد أغتدي والصُّبحُ في إقدامِه

    واللَّيلُ قد أعرَضَ لانِهزامِه

    At times I set out early, as dawn advances,

    And night has already turned away to flee,

  2. كأنَّما الجَوْزاءُ في انصِرامِه

    راعي سَوامٍ بَثَّ من سَوامِه

    As though Orion, at the night's ending,

    Were a herdsman who scattered some of his grazing herd,

  3. أو مُتَمَطٍّ هَبَّ من منامِه

    بمُلجَمٍ قد باتَ في لِجامِه

    Or a stretching man who rose from his sleep.

    On a bridled horse that had spent the night in its bridle,

  4. مُصْغٍ إلى الفارسِ في قِيامِه

    حتى خَبا المصباحُ من مُدامِه

    Attentive to the rider while standing,

    Until the lamp of his wine burned out,

  5. وقَلَّ سَيرُ كأسِه وجامِه

    قد أُلهِمَ الطَّاعةَ في إلهامِه

    And the circulation of his cup and goblet dwindled,

    Already inspired to obey through the guidance given it;

  6. ومُخطَفٍ شَمَّرَ عن أكمامِه

    مُحتَلِمٍ قد سادَ بابنِ عامِه

    And with a slender-waisted youth who rolled up his sleeves,

    Grown to manhood, already a master with his yearling,

  7. يَكتَنُّ بَدْرُ الأُفْقِ في لِثامِه

    يُجنَبُ مَغبوطاً على إكرامِه

    The horizon's full moon hidden within his veil.

    It is led alongside, envied for the honor shown it,

  8. مُبَجَّلاً دونَ بني أعمامِه

    أَهرَتَ كالمُغرقِ في ابتسامِه

    Esteemed above its paternal cousins,

    Wide-mouthed, like one smiling to excess.

  9. ضَمَّرَه في مُبتَدى أعوامِه

    وصانَه عن عابِه وذامِه

    He trained it lean from its earliest years,

    And shielded it from fault and reproach;

  10. فجاء كالمُفرِقِ من سَقامِه

    يَطرفُ عَنْكَ الجَمْرَ في ضِرامِه

    So it came like one recovering from his illness.

    It drives embers away from you as they blaze;

  11. ألحاظُه تُخْبِرُ عن عُرامِه

    يَشُبُّ ما حُرِّكَ من زِمامِه

    Its glances tell of its ferocity.

    It leaps up whenever its leash is moved,

  12. كأنَّما رُوِّعَ في أحلامِه

    حتى إذا ما افترَّ عن حُسامِه

    As though startled in its dreams.

    Until, when it grinned to bare its sword,

  13. واحتدَمَ المِقدارُ في احتدامِه

    واستنزلَ السِّربَ على أحكامِه

    And fate flared with its fury,

    And it made the herd submit to its decrees,

  14. أحرزَ ما رُمناه من آرامِه

    فما رُزِقْناه فَمِنْ إنعامِه

    It secured the gazelles we sought from that herd.

    So whatever we were granted was from its bounty,

  15. وما حُرِمْناه ففي ذِمامِه

    حتى يذوقَ المُرَّ من حِمامِه

    And whatever we were denied is in its charge,

    Until it tastes the bitterness of its death.