طافَ من هندٍ خيالٌ فذَعَرْ

طافَ من هندٍ خيالٌ فذَعَرْ

ورَمى عَيني بدمعٍ وسَهَرْ

ورَمى عَيني بدمعٍ وسَهَرْ

A phantom of Hind passed by and startled me,

A phantom from India roamed by

and struck my eye with tears and sleeplessness.

And cast my eyes with tears that caused many a sleepless night

قلتُ لّما أنْ دنا منّي له

قلتُ لّما أنْ دنا منّي له

مرحباً إلفاً بسَمعي والبَصَرْ

مرحباً إلفاً بسَمعي والبَصَرْ

When it drew near me, I said to it:

When it drew near, I greeted it fondly:

“Welcome, dear companion, to my hearing and sight!

"Welcome, my hearing and sight!"

هندُ من أين تخطّيتِ إلى

هندُ من أين تخطّيتِ إلى

ركبِ أطلاحِ مطيٍّ قد حَسرْ

ركبِ أطلاحِ مطيٍّ قد حَسرْ

Hind, from where did you make your way to

"From India whence have you come

riders on worn-out mounts, already exhausted,

Riding the shoulders of a docile steed?"

تحت ليلٍ ساقطٍ أكنافُه

تحت ليلٍ ساقطٍ أكنافُه

بشتيتِ النبتِ عذبِ ذي أَشُر

بشتيتِ النبتِ عذبِ ذي أَشُر

beneath a night whose edges hang low,

Under a fallen night whose sides

with a sweet mouth of widely spaced, serrated teeth?”

Were sweet grass in delightful disorder