نسيمٌ سرى والفجرُ يَنْضُو مُهَنَّدا

نسيمٌ سرى والفجرُ يَنْضُو مُهَنَّدا

فَقَلَّدَ جِيدَ الغصن من جَوْهرِ النَّدَى

فَقَلَّدَ جِيدَ الغصن من جَوْهرِ النَّدَى

A breeze passed by night as dawn unsheathed an Indian sword.

A breeze blew by, and dawn was glowing,

So it hung jewels of dew about the branch's neck.

Adorning the boughs with drops of dew.

وخِلْنَا الصَّبا حاكَتْ من النَّهر لأْمَةً

وخِلْنَا الصَّبا حاكَتْ من النَّهر لأْمَةً

وهزَّتْهُ هنديّاً وصاغَتْهُ مِبْرَدَا

وهزَّتْهُ هنديّاً وصاغَتْهُ مِبْرَدَا

And we imagined the east wind had woven a coat of mail from the river,

The morning wind plaited a string of pearls,

and brandished it as an Indian blade and fashioned it into a rasp.

Swaying the branches to and fro.

فلله نشوانٌ بغيرِ مُدَامَةٍ

فلله نشوانٌ بغيرِ مُدَامَةٍ

قويمٌ فلولا النطقُ خِلْناهُ أَمْلَدا

قويمٌ فلولا النطقُ خِلْناهُ أَمْلَدا

What a marvel, by God—one drunk without wine,

By God! What bliss without wine!

straight of stature—but for speech, we would have thought him a supple bough.

Upright he stands, though mute, not drunk.

سقاه براحِ الحسن راحُ شبابهِ

سقاه براحِ الحسن راحُ شبابهِ

فعربدَ من أجفانه وتأَوَّدَا

فعربدَ من أجفانه وتأَوَّدَا

The hand of his youth gave him beauty's wine to drink,

The zephyr of beauty intoxicated him,

so he ran riot through his eyelids and swayed.

His eyelids twitched, and passion stirred.

وشبَّ بماءِ الراح نارَ مُدامةٍ

وشبَّ بماءِ الراح نارَ مُدامةٍ

فذوَّبَ في الطَّاسِ اللجينيِّ عَسْجَدا

فذوَّبَ في الطَّاسِ اللجينيِّ عَسْجَدا

And with wine's water he kindled a fire of wine,

The wine of delight kindled desire’s fire,

then melted gold in the silver bowl.

Melting his coolness into fervent heat.

جلاها عروساً عاطلاً فتَخَفَّرَتْ

جلاها عروساً عاطلاً فتَخَفَّرَتْ

فقلَّدَها بالمَزْجِ مما تقلَّدا

فقلَّدَها بالمَزْجِ مما تقلَّدا

He unveiled her as a bride without jewels, and she grew bashful;

Like a bride unveiled, he flirted and flaunted,

so, by mixing, he necklaced her with what he himself wore.

Adorned with the jewels of the heart’s elation.

وليلٍ دجوجيِّ الجناح كأنما

وليلٍ دجوجيِّ الجناح كأنما

أُمِدَّ بموجِ البحر أو صار سَرْمَدَا

أُمِدَّ بموجِ البحر أو صار سَرْمَدَا

And a night, pitch-black of wing, as though

The night, soft-winged, was spread out

it had been fed by the sea's waves, or had become endless.

Like an ocean surge or endless heaven.

كأنّ الثريا فيه للبدرِ عاشقٌ

كأنّ الثريا فيه للبدرِ عاشقٌ

يَمُدُّ إِلى توديع محبوبهِ يَدَا

يَمُدُّ إِلى توديع محبوبهِ يَدَا

As though the Pleiades in it were the full moon's lover,

As if for the moon her pleiades lover

stretching out a hand to bid his beloved farewell.

Reached out a hand to bid adieu.

مَرَقْتُ به في مَتْن أَدهم صاهلٍ

مَرَقْتُ به في مَتْن أَدهم صاهلٍ

أَغَرَّ إذا أَبْرَقْتُ بالسيف أَرْعَدا

أَغَرَّ إذا أَبْرَقْتُ بالسيف أَرْعَدا

I sped through it on the back of a neighing black steed,

I rode through the darkness of the desert night

white-blazed—when I flashed the sword, he thundered.

Lightning when I brandished my sword.

كأن الذي في وجهه وإهابه

كأن الذي في وجهه وإهابه

ظلامُ ضلالٍ فيه ضوءٌ من الهدى

ظلامُ ضلالٍ فيه ضوءٌ من الهدى

As though what lay upon his face and hide

As if, in his face and demeanor,

were the darkness of error, with a light of guidance within it.

The darkness of error were lit by guidance.