وَمَفازَةٍand a desert waste لانَجمُno star فيin ظَلمائِهاits darkness
وَمَفازَةٍ لانَجمُ في ظَلمائِها
يَسريtravels by night وَلاand no فَلَكٌcelestial sphere بِهاin it دَوّارُrevolving
يَسري وَلا فَلَكٌ بِها دَوّارُ
And a desert waste: no star in its darkness
In a vast desert where no stars shine
travels, nor does a celestial sphere revolve there.
A traveler moves on without guide or sign
تَتَلَهَّبُblazes الشِعرىSirius بِهاin it وَكَأَنَّهاand as though it were
تَتَلَهَّبُ الشِعرى بِها وَكَأَنَّها
فيin كَفِّthe palm of زِنجِيِّthe black African man of الدُجىdarkness دينارُa dinar
في كَفِّ زِنجِيِّ الدُجى دينارُ
Sirius blazes there, as though it were
The brushwood kindles as if set aflame
a dinar in the palm of the black man of darkness.
In the black night's hand a gold coin
تَرميtosses بِهِit الغيطانُthe hollows فيهاin it وَالرُبىand the hills
تَرمي بِهِ الغيطانُ فيها وَالرُبى
دُوَلاًby turns كَماas يَتَمَوَّجُundulates التَيّارُthe current
دُوَلاً كَما يَتَمَوَّجُ التَيّارُ
The hollows and hills toss it there
The winds fling therein the high dunes about
by turns, as the current undulates.
Like waves that surge and swirl in angry rout
قَدalready لَفَّنيwrapped me فيهاin it الظَلامُthe darkness وَطافَand circled بيaround me
قَد لَفَّني فيها الظَلامُ وَطافَ بي
ذِئبٌa wolf يُلِمُّcomes visiting مَعَwith الدُجىdarkness زُوّارُa frequent visitor
ذِئبٌ يُلِمُّ مَعَ الدُجى زُوّارُ
Darkness had wrapped me there, and around me circled
The dark embraced me and there wandered round
a wolf, a frequent visitor who comes with the darkness.
A wolf that blent with night in eerie shout
طَرّاقُa night-caller on ساداتِthe masters of الدِيارِdwellings مُساوِرٌan assailant
طَرّاقُ ساداتِ الدِيارِ مُساوِرٌ
خَتّالُa deceiver of أَبناءِthe sons of السُرىnight travel غَدّارُtreacherous
خَتّالُ أَبناءِ السُرى غَدّارُ
A night-caller on the masters of dwellings, an assailant,
A fascinating prince of stately mien
a deceiver of night travelers, treacherous.
A wily youth in mirthful mood is seen
يَسريtravels by night وَقَدand already نَضَحَsprinkled النَدىthe dew وَجهَthe face of الصَباthe east wind
يَسري وَقَد نَضَحَ النَدى وَجهَ الصَبا
فيin فَروَةٍa pelt قَدalready مَسَّهاtouched it اِقشِعرارُa shiver
في فَروَةٍ قَد مَسَّها اِقشِعرارُ
It travels by night, dew having sprinkled the east wind's face,
The dew has wet the face of dawn and fared
in a pelt touched by shivering.
A shudder o’er a temple the day has seared
فَعَشَوتُso I groped فيin ظَلماءَdarkness لَمnot تُقدَحwas kindled بِهاin it
فَعَشَوتُ في ظَلماءَ لَم تُقدَح بِها
إِلّاexcept لِمُقلَتِهِfor its eye وَبَأسيand my valor نارُa fire
إِلّا لِمُقلَتِهِ وَبَأسي نارُ
So I groped through darkness, where nothing was kindled
I wandered in a night no light revealed
but the fire of its eye and my valor.
Except my fire that flamed when danger speared
وَرَفَلتُand I strode proudly فيin خُلَعٍrobes of honor عَلَيَّupon me مِنfrom الدُجىdarkness
وَرَفَلتُ في خُلَعٍ عَلَيَّ مِن الدُجى
عُقِدَتwere fastened لَهاfor them مِنfrom أَنجُمٍstars أَزرارُbuttons
عُقِدَت لَها مِن أَنجُمٍ أَزرارُ
And I strode proudly in robes of honor draped upon me by darkness,
I sported then in robes by darkness dressed
for which buttons of stars had been fastened.
That night’s stars did clasp and stud in glittering crest
وَاللَيلُand the night يَقصُرُshortens خَطوَهُits stride وَلَرُبَّماand how often
وَاللَيلُ يَقصُرُ خَطوَهُ وَلَرُبَّما
طالَتgrew long لَياليthe nights of الرَكبِthe caravan وَهيَthough they are قِصارُshort
طالَت لَيالي الرَكبِ وَهيَ قِصارُ
And night shortens its stride—and how often
The night walks with steps shortened in her pace
the caravan's nights have grown long, though they are short!
Though long the nights for them who nightly race
قَدalready شابَgrew gray مِنfrom طَرَفِthe edge of المَجَرَّةِthe Milky Way مَفرِقٌa hair-parting
قَد شابَ مِن طَرَفِ المَجَرَّةِ مَفرِقٌ
فيهاin them وَمِنand from خَطِّthe line of الهِلالِthe crescent عِذارُa sideburn
فيها وَمِن خَطِّ الهِلالِ عِذارُ
A hair-parting has grayed from the Milky Way's edge
From Pleiades his brow is grey with eld
within them, and a sideburn from the crescent's line.
With age is Sirius’ visage darkness-spelled
Sol 6.1