رَمَيتَ ظِباءَ القَفرِ كَيما تَصيدَها

رَمَيتَ ظِباءَ القَفرِ كَيما تَصيدَها

وَمَن صادَ عَفوَ اللَهِ أَرمى وَأَصيَدُ

وَمَن صادَ عَفوَ اللَهِ أَرمى وَأَصيَدُ

You shot at the desert gazelles to catch them;

You shoot arrows at the deer of the wilderness to hunt them

and whoever wins God's pardon is a surer shot and a better hunter.

And he who hunts God's pardon has shot and hunted well

أَجَدَّكَ هَل أُنسيتَ صَحبَكَ في السُرى

أَجَدَّكَ هَل أُنسيتَ صَحبَكَ في السُرى

وَكُلُّهُمُ مِن نَعسَةِ الفَجرِ أَغيَدُ

وَكُلُّهُمُ مِن نَعسَةِ الفَجرِ أَغيَدُ

Tell me truly: have you been made to forget your companions on the night journey,

Do I find you - have you forgotten your companion in travel?

and all of them languid with dawn's drowsiness?

And all of them from the drowsiness of dawn are nodding off

كُهولٌ عَتَوا في سِنِّهِم وَكَأَنَّهُم

كُهولٌ عَتَوا في سِنِّهِم وَكَأَنَّهُم

غُصونٌ عَلى مَيسِ الرَكائِبِ مُيَّدُ

غُصونٌ عَلى مَيسِ الرَكائِبِ مُيَّدُ

Mature men, far advanced in years, yet as though they were

Old men who were unruly in their days, as though they are

boughs swaying with the rocking of the riding camels,

Branches swaying on the howdahs of the travelling camels

إِذا الصُبحُ أَعطى العَينَ عُنقودَ كَرمَةٍ

إِذا الصُبحُ أَعطى العَينَ عُنقودَ كَرمَةٍ

مُلاحيَّةٍ ما أَمَّلَت أَخذَهُ اليَدُ

مُلاحيَّةٍ ما أَمَّلَت أَخذَهُ اليَدُ

when dawn gave the eye a cluster from a vine

When dawn gives the eye bunches of grapes

of white grapes, which the hand never hoped to pluck.

Of a vineyard no hand has hoped to pluck