طَلَعَت وَاللَيلُ مُشتَمِلٌ

طَلَعَت وَاللَيلُ مُشتَمِلٌ

سابِغُ الأَذيالِ وَالأُزُرِ

سابِغُ الأَذيالِ وَالأُزُرِ

She appeared while night lay cloaked,

The night emerged, cloaked

its hems and waist-wraps flowing long,

In its heavy, dark garments.

مِن خَصاصاتِ الغَبيطِ وَقَد

مِن خَصاصاتِ الغَبيطِ وَقَد

غَرَّدَ الحادي عَلى أُقُرِ

غَرَّدَ الحادي عَلى أُقُرِ

through the gaps in the camel litter, while

The happy cockerel heralded

the camel-driver was already singing at Uqur.

From its perch.

وَرِقابُ القَومِ مايِلَةٌ

وَرِقابُ القَومِ مايِلَةٌ

مِن بَقايا نَشوَةِ السَهَرِ

مِن بَقايا نَشوَةِ السَهَرِ

And the men's necks were drooping

The people's necks slanted

from the lingering intoxication of sleeplessness.

From the remains of a night of wakefulness.

فَاِستَقاموا في رِحالِهِمُ

فَاِستَقاموا في رِحالِهِمُ

يُتبِعونَ الضَوءَ بِالنَظَرِ

يُتبِعونَ الضَوءَ بِالنَظَرِ

Then they sat upright in their saddles,

So they straightened upon their mounts

following the light with their gaze.

And followed the light with their gaze.

فَاِمتَرَينا ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُم

فَاِمتَرَينا ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُم

لَيسَ هَذا مَطلِعُ القَمَرِ

لَيسَ هَذا مَطلِعُ القَمَرِ

So we doubted; then I said to them:

We continued on, and I said to them:

“This is not where the moon rises.”

This is not the rising of the moon.