هل يُدْنيَنِّي من جَنَاب خيامها

هل يُدْنيَنِّي من جَنَاب خيامها

بَرْقٌ تقلَّد جيدُه بعنانِ

بَرْقٌ تقلَّد جيدُه بعنانِ

Will I be brought near the vicinity of her tents

Does a lightning adorned with reins on its neck

by a lightning-steed, its neck girded with a rein?

Bring me near to the abode of her tents?

ومهَّندٍ متمّوجٍ متضرِّمٍ

ومهَّندٍ متمّوجٍ متضرِّمٍ

من صفحتيه بغمدهِ فَجْرَانِ

من صفحتيه بغمدهِ فَجْرَانِ

And an Indian-steel sword, rippling and ablaze—

A wavy, curling, gushing blade,

two dawns shine from its two sides within its sheath.

From its edges in its morning sheath,

عَضْبٌ ترقرقَ ماؤه في نارهِ

عَضْبٌ ترقرقَ ماؤه في نارهِ

فَعَجبْتُ كيف تَأَلَّفَ الضِّدَّانِ

فَعَجبْتُ كيف تَأَلَّفَ الضِّدَّانِ

A keen blade: its water shimmered in its fire;

A bamboo whose water crackles in its fire -

so I marveled at how the two opposites united.

I wondered how two opposites befriended each other!

يَنْدَى ويَدْمَى تارةً فكأنما

يَنْدَى ويَدْمَى تارةً فكأنما

لَمَسَتْ مضاربَهُ يَدَا رِضْوَانِ

لَمَسَتْ مضاربَهُ يَدَا رِضْوَانِ

It grows dewy and bleeds at times, as though

It glistens and bleeds at times as though

Ridwan's two hands had touched its cutting edges.

The hands of Ridwan had touched its dwellings.

وتَسُلُّ أيدي الدارعين قَوَاضِباً

وتَسُلُّ أيدي الدارعين قَوَاضِباً

مثل الجداول سِلْنَ من غُدْرَانِ

مثل الجداول سِلْنَ من غُدْرَانِ

And the hands of armored men unsheathe keen swords,

And it makes the hands of warriors flow softly

like rivulets that have flowed from pools.

Like brooks slipping from treachery.