طافَ الظَلامُ بِهِ فَأَسرَجَ أَدهَما

طافَ الظَلامُ بِهِ فَأَسرَجَ أَدهَما

وَسَما السِماكُ بِهِ فَأَشرَعَ لَهذَما

وَسَما السِماكُ بِهِ فَأَشرَعَ لَهذَما

Darkness circled him, so he saddled a coal-black steed.

Darkness enveloped it, so I saddled the dark one,

Al-Simak rose above him, so he leveled a keen spear.

And set up the Pleiades above, two bright stars for it.

وَسَرى يَطيرُ بِهِ عُقابٌ كاسِرٌ

وَسَرى يَطيرُ بِهِ عُقابٌ كاسِرٌ

أَمسى يُلاعِبُ مِن عِنانٍ أَرقَما

أَمسى يُلاعِبُ مِن عِنانٍ أَرقَما

And he rode by night, a swooping eagle bearing him in flight,

An eagle flew with it, snatching prey,

That at dusk played with a mottled serpent for a rein.

In the evening it plays with the reins, docile.

زَحَمَ الدُجى مِنهُ بِرُكنَي هَيكَلٍ

زَحَمَ الدُجى مِنهُ بِرُكنَي هَيكَلٍ

لَو كانَ زاحَمَ شاهِقاً لَتَهَدَّما

لَو كانَ زاحَمَ شاهِقاً لَتَهَدَّما

He thrust against the darkness with that mighty steed's two flanks;

The darkness jostled within it, in the pillars of the temple,

Had it thrust against a towering peak, the peak would have crumbled.

Had it jostled a towering giant, it would have collapsed.

في سُدفَةٍ يَندى دُجاها صَفحَةً

في سُدفَةٍ يَندى دُجاها صَفحَةً

وَيَطيبُ رَيّاً ريحُها مُتَنَسِّما

وَيَطيبُ رَيّاً ريحُها مُتَنَسِّما

In darkness whose gloom lay dewy on the cheek,

In a sedan whose dew glistens like a page,

And whose breeze was sweetly fragrant when breathed.

Its breeze sweetly inhaled.

فَتَكادُ ريقَةُ طَلِّها أَن تُحتَسى

فَتَكادُ ريقَةُ طَلِّها أَن تُحتَسى

رَشفاً وَمَبسِمُ بَرقِها أَن يُلثَما

رَشفاً وَمَبسِمُ بَرقِها أَن يُلثَما

So the saliva of its dew could almost be drunk

Its hanging droplets nearly sipped

In sips, and the smiling mouth of its lightning kissed.

Like a lip sipping its lightning’s smile.

مِن لَيلَةٍ غَنَّيتُ فيها أَنثَني

مِن لَيلَةٍ غَنَّيتُ فيها أَنثَني

طَرَباً وَأَسعَدَني المَطِيُّ فَأَرزَما

طَرَباً وَأَسعَدَني المَطِيُّ فَأَرزَما

Of a night in which I sang, swaying

On a night in which I sang, bending,

With delight; the riding camels joined me and rumbled softly.

Enchanted, and the journey made me happy, I hummed.

وَسَرى الهِلالُ يَدِبُّ فيها عَقرَباً

وَسَرى الهِلالُ يَدِبُّ فيها عَقرَباً

وَاِنسابَ مُنعَطَفُ المَجَرَّةِ أَرقَما

وَاِنسابَ مُنعَطَفُ المَجَرَّةِ أَرقَما

And the crescent moved through it, creeping like a scorpion,

The crescent crawled in it like a scorpion

And the Milky Way's curve glided like a mottled serpent.

And the bend of the galaxy slithered.

وَتَلَدَّدَت نَحوَ الحِمى بي نَظرَةٌ

وَتَلَدَّدَت نَحوَ الحِمى بي نَظرَةٌ

عُذرِيَّةٌ ثَنَتِ العِنانَ إِلى الحِمى

عُذرِيَّةٌ ثَنَتِ العِنانَ إِلى الحِمى

And a glance turned me restlessly toward the sanctuary—

Towards the sanctuary a virginal glance turned,

A chaste glance that turned the reins toward the sanctuary.

Bending the reins towards the sanctuary.

فَلَوَيتُ أَعناقَ المَطِيِّ مُعَرِّجاً

فَلَوَيتُ أَعناقَ المَطِيِّ مُعَرِّجاً

وَنَزَلتُ أَعتَنِقُ الأَراكَ مُسَلِّما

وَنَزَلتُ أَعتَنِقُ الأَراكَ مُسَلِّما

So I bent the camels' necks, turning aside,

If only I turned the necks of the steeds winding,

And dismounted, embracing the arak trees in greeting,

And dismounted to embrace the hills submissively,

مُتَنَسِّماً نَفَسَ القُبولِ وَرُبَّما

مُتَنَسِّماً نَفَسَ القُبولِ وَرُبَّما

أَورى زِنادَ الشَوقِ أَن أَتَنَسَّما

أَورى زِنادَ الشَوقِ أَن أَتَنَسَّما

Breathing in the east wind's breath; and often

Inhaling the breath of acceptance, and maybe

Breathing it in struck sparks from longing's flints.

I would ignite desire’s flint to inhale.

فَأَسَلتُ أَحساءَ الدُموعِ عَلامَةً

فَأَسَلتُ أَحساءَ الدُموعِ عَلامَةً

وَلَوَيتُ أَحناءَ الضُلوعِ تَأَلُّما

وَلَوَيتُ أَحناءَ الضُلوعِ تَأَلُّما

So I set the wells of tears flowing as a sign,

So I shed the tears of sorrow in streams,

And twisted my curving ribs in pain,

If only the ribs’ curves ached.

في مَنزِلٍ ما أَوطَأَتهُ حافِراً

في مَنزِلٍ ما أَوطَأَتهُ حافِراً

عُربُ الجِيادِ وَلا المَطايا مَنسِما

عُربُ الجِيادِ وَلا المَطايا مَنسِما

At a dwelling where no hoof had been set

In a dwelling which the steeds’ hooves never trod,

By purebred steeds, nor any footpad by riding camels.

Nor the camels' feet marked.

أَكرَمتُهُ عَن أَن يُنالَ بِوَطأَةٍ

أَكرَمتُهُ عَن أَن يُنالَ بِوَطأَةٍ

وَلِمِثلِهِ مِن مَنزِلٍ أَن يُكرَما

وَلِمِثلِهِ مِن مَنزِلٍ أَن يُكرَما

I held it too dear to be touched by a footfall,

I honored it from being treaded on,

And a dwelling such as this deserves to be honored.

And the likes of it should be honored.

دَمَعَت بِهِ عَينُ الغَمامِ صَبابَةً

دَمَعَت بِهِ عَينُ الغَمامِ صَبابَةً

وَلَرُبَّما طَرِبَ الجَوادُ فَحَمحَما

وَلَرُبَّما طَرِبَ الجَوادُ فَحَمحَما

There the clouds' eye shed tears with longing,

The eye of the cloud wept drops over it,

And often the steed rejoiced and whinnied softly.

And sometimes the steed neighed and snorted.

ما أَذكَرَتني العَهدَ فيهِ أَيكَةٌ

ما أَذكَرَتني العَهدَ فيهِ أَيكَةٌ

إِلّا بَكَيتُ فَسالَ واديها دَما

إِلّا بَكَيتُ فَسالَ واديها دَما

Whenever a grove there recalled the old bond to me,

No ruins reminded me of the past in it,

I wept, and its valley flowed with blood.

Except that I wept, and its valley streamed blood.

وَسَجَعتُ أَندُبُ لَوعَةً وَلَرُبَّما

وَسَجَعتُ أَندُبُ لَوعَةً وَلَرُبَّما

صَدَحَ الحَمامُ يُجيبُني فَتَعَلَّما

صَدَحَ الحَمامُ يُجيبُني فَتَعَلَّما

And I cooed, lamenting anguish; and often

I elegized, grieving, and sometimes

The doves sang out in answer to me, and so learned from me.

The pigeon cooed, responding to me, learning.