وَمَنْهَلٍ أَقْفَرَ مِن أَلْقائِهِ

وَمَنْهَلٍ أَقْفَرَ مِن أَلْقائِهِ

وَرَدْتُهُ وَاللَيْلُ في أَغْشائِهِ

وَرَدْتُهُ وَاللَيْلُ في أَغْشائِهِ

And a watering place, deserted of its visitors—

An empty watering place of its visitors,

I came to it while night lay in its shrouds,

I came upon it while night cloaked it,

بِجَشِبٍ أَتْلَعَ في إِصْغائِهِ

بِجَشِبٍ أَتْلَعَ في إِصْغائِهِ

جاءَ وَقَدْ زادَ عَلَى أَظْمائِهِ

جاءَ وَقَدْ زادَ عَلَى أَظْمائِهِ

With a rugged, long-necked beast, inclining his head.

With a dry cough from its listening,

He came, having exceeded his intervals between waterings.

It came while its afflictions had increased,

يُجاوِرُ الحَوْضَ إِلَى إِزائِهِ

يُجاوِرُ الحَوْضَ إِلَى إِزائِهِ

رَشفاً بِمَخْضُوبَيْنِ مِنْ صَفْرائِهِ

رَشفاً بِمَخْضُوبَيْنِ مِنْ صَفْرائِهِ

He stays beside the trough, at its inlet,

Neighboring the basin up to its rim,

Sipping with two lips stained by his yellow bile.

Sipping with jaundiced lips of its yellowness,

وَقَدْ شَفَتْهُ وَحْدَها مِنْ دائِهِ

وَقَدْ شَفَتْهُ وَحْدَها مِنْ دائِهِ

مِنْ طائِفِ الجَهْلِ وَمِنْ نُزائِهِ

مِنْ طائِفِ الجَهْلِ وَمِنْ نُزائِهِ

And it alone had cured him of his ailment:

Its solitude alone had quenched its thirst,

Of a fit of frenzy and of his agitation.

From the altars of ignorance and its proceedings.