وَقَوْرَاءَ مِنْ قَوْسِ الْغَمَامِ ابْتَغُوا لَهَا

وَقَوْرَاءَ مِنْ قَوْسِ الْغَمَامِ ابْتَغُوا لَهَا

مِثَالاً أَدَارُوهَا بِلاَ شَكِّ

مِثَالاً أَدَارُوهَا بِلاَ شَكِّ

And a broad, round wheel—for it they sought from the clouds’ bow

a model; they set it turning, without a doubt.

فَبَيْنَ الثُّرَيَّا وَالثَّرَى سُدَّ جرْمُهَا

فَبَيْنَ الثُّرَيَّا وَالثَّرَى سُدَّ جرْمُهَا

وَلِلْفَلَكِ الدَّوَّارِ قَدْ أَصْبَحَتْ تَحْكِي

وَلِلْفَلَكِ الدَّوَّارِ قَدْ أَصْبَحَتْ تَحْكِي

So between the Pleiades and the earth its bulk filled the space,

and it has come to resemble the revolving celestial sphere.

تَصُوغُ لُجَيْنَ الْمَاءِ فِي النَّهْرِ دَائِما

تَصُوغُ لُجَيْنَ الْمَاءِ فِي النَّهْرِ دَائِما

دَرَاهِمَ نَوْرٍ قَدْ خَلصَنْ مِنْ السَّبكِ

دَرَاهِمَ نَوْرٍ قَدْ خَلصَنْ مِنْ السَّبكِ

It continually fashions the water’s silver in the river

into dirhams of blossom that have emerged pure from casting.

وَتُرْسِلُ مِنْ شُهْبَانِهَا ذَا ذُؤابَةٍ

وَتُرْسِلُ مِنْ شُهْبَانِهَا ذَا ذُؤابَةٍ

فَتَبْغِي اسْتِرَاقَ السَّمْعِ عَنْ حَوْزَةِ الْمُلْكِ

فَتَبْغِي اسْتِرَاقَ السَّمْعِ عَنْ حَوْزَةِ الْمُلْكِ

And from its shooting stars it sends forth one with a trailing lock,

thus seeking to steal a hearing from the royal domain.

تَذَكَّرَتِ الْعَهْدَ الَّذِي اخْتُرِعَتْ بِهِ

تَذَكَّرَتِ الْعَهْدَ الَّذِي اخْتُرِعَتْ بِهِ

وَحَنَّتْ فَمَا تَنْفَكُّ سَاجِعَةً تَبْكِي

وَحَنَّتْ فَمَا تَنْفَكُّ سَاجِعَةً تَبْكِي

It remembered the time in which it was invented,

and yearned; so it never ceases cooing and weeping.