ما البرقُ يلوحُ توقُّدُهُ

ما البرقُ يلوحُ توقُّدُهُ

ترتاعُ فليلُكَ سَرْمَدُهُ

ترتاعُ فليلُكَ سَرْمَدُهُ

What of the lightning, its blaze flashing?

The lightning flashes, its kindling afire,

You take fright, for your night is endless.

Your night shudders, its darkness eternal.

يَهفو في مَتْن غمامته

يَهفو في مَتْن غمامته

كالجحفلِ تَخْفُقُ أَبْنُدُه

كالجحفلِ تَخْفُقُ أَبْنُدُه

It flutters across the back of its cloud,

It growls through the belly of clouds,

like a great army whose banners flutter.

Its young fluttering like partridges.

والغيهبُ كالزنجيِّ سَطَا

والغيهبُ كالزنجيِّ سَطَا

وبياضُ الصبحِ مُهَنَّده

وبياضُ الصبحِ مُهَنَّده

And the darkness charged like a Zanj man,

The unseen is like a black slave,

and dawn's whiteness was his Indian-forged sword.

The dawn's whiteness a shroud.

أَرْدَى بالصارِم أَحْوَرَهُ

أَرْدَى بالصارِم أَحْوَرَهُ

وسطا بالضيغمِ أَغْيَدُهُ

وسطا بالضيغمِ أَغْيَدُهُ

He felled his dark-eyed one with the keen blade,

It struck with its blade savagely,

and his supple one pounced upon the lion.

Stabbing midst the mortal pain.

أبصفحةِ خدِّك طُلَّ دَمِي

أبصفحةِ خدِّك طُلَّ دَمِي

فتعصفَرَ منه مُسَوَّدُهُ

فتعصفَرَ منه مُسَوَّدُهُ

Was my blood shed unavenged upon the surface of your cheek,

Upon your cheek's page, my blood flowed

so its blackened part was dyed safflower-red by it?

And from it the blackened heart showed.

أم لحظُك أُدْرِج في كبدي

أم لحظُك أُدْرِج في كبدي

فسوادُ جَنَاني إِثْمدهُ

فسوادُ جَنَاني إِثْمدهُ

Or was your glance lodged in my liver,

Or did your glance pierce my liver,

so my heart's blackness is its antimony kohl?

Such that my soul blackened in shame?

ما بالُ زماني يُجْهدني

ما بالُ زماني يُجْهدني

وأَذُمُّ عُلاي فأحْمَدُهُ

وأَذُمُّ عُلاي فأحْمَدُهُ

What ails my time, that it wears me down,

Why does time afflict me so

while I blame my lofty rank and so praise it?

While I praise its heights in verse?

وإذا لم يُغْضِ أخو جَلَدٍ

وإذا لم يُغْضِ أخو جَلَدٍ

للجود فأَين تجلُّده

للجود فأَين تجلُّده

And if a man of fortitude will not lower his gaze

If a brother lacks the gallantry

before generosity, where is his fortitude?

To be generous, where can it be found?

أيجورُ الدهرُ على بَشَرٍ

أيجورُ الدهرُ على بَشَرٍ

وندى ابنِ سلامةَ يَعْضُدُهُ

وندى ابنِ سلامةَ يَعْضُدُهُ

Can Time wrong a mortal,

Does time act unjustly toward mortals

while Ibn Salama's bounty supports him?

While the dew of Ibn Salama helps them?

ويلين الحقُّ على أَحدٍ

ويلين الحقُّ على أَحدٍ

وبإسماعيلَ تَشَدُّدُه

وبإسماعيلَ تَشَدُّدُه

And can justice falter before anyone,

Truth softens toward someone,

when its firmness comes through Ismail?

Yet through Ishmael its harshness prevails.

يختالُ الدين لئن رُتِقَتْ

يختالُ الدين لئن رُتِقَتْ

بمعالي المخلصِ أَبْرُدُه

بمعالي المخلصِ أَبْرُدُه

Faith walks proudly, if indeed they have been mended—

Religion struts about vainly

its cloaks, by the devoted one's lofty virtues.

If the righteous man's virtues humble it.

لو أنّ الدهرَ له كَلِمٌ

لو أنّ الدهرَ له كَلِمٌ

لَتكَلَّم أنَّكَ أوْحَدُه

لَتكَلَّم أنَّكَ أوْحَدُه

If Time had words,

If time itself could speak,

it would say that you are its peerless one.

It would say you alone humble it.