ومُهنّدٍ عَجَنَ الحَديد لقينه

ومُهنّدٍ عَجَنَ الحَديد لقينه

في الطّبع نيرانٌ مُلِئْنَ رياحَا

في الطّبع نيرانٌ مُلِئْنَ رياحَا

And a sword of Indian steel, whose iron was kneaded for its smith

The blacksmith forged iron into a lance for his war

In forging by fires filled with winds.

In his nature were fiery winds filling the air

رُوحٌ إذا أخرَجْتَهُ من جسمه

رُوحٌ إذا أخرَجْتَهُ من جسمه

دخَلَ الجسُومَ فأخرَجَ الأرواحا

دخَلَ الجسُومَ فأخرَجَ الأرواحا

A spirit—when you draw it out of its body,

A spirit - when you take it out from its body

It enters bodies and drives out souls.

It enters bodies and brings out souls

وكأنّهُ قَفْرٌ لعينكَ موحشٌ

وكأنّهُ قَفْرٌ لعينكَ موحشٌ

أبَداً تَمُرّ ببابه ضحضاحا

أبَداً تَمُرّ ببابه ضحضاحا

And it seems a wilderness, desolate to your eye,

It's as if it's an empty wasteland to your eye

Forever you pass by its gate through shallow water.

You never pass by its door laughing

وكأنّما جنٌّ تُرِيكَ تخيُّلاً

وكأنّما جنٌّ تُرِيكَ تخيُّلاً

فيه الحسانَ من الوجوه قباحا

فيه الحسانَ من الوجوه قباحا

And as though jinn, through illusion, show you

It's as if it's a jinn showing you imaginings

Within it, beautiful faces as ugly.

In it the beautiful faces are ugly

وكأنّ كلّ ذُبابَةٍ غرقَتْ به

وكأنّ كلّ ذُبابَةٍ غرقَتْ به

رَفَعَتْ مكانَ الأثْرِ منهُ جَنَاحا

رَفَعَتْ مكانَ الأثْرِ منهُ جَنَاحا

And as though every fly that drowned in it

It's as if every gnat that drowned in it

Had raised a wing from it in place of the mark.

Raised the place of its trace from it a wing