قَد أَغتَدي وَاللَيلُ كَالغُرابِ

قَد أَغتَدي وَاللَيلُ كَالغُرابِ

راخي القِناعِ حالِكُ الإِهابِ

راخي القِناعِ حالِكُ الإِهابِ

Many a time I set forth early, while night was like a raven—

Often I set out early, while night is like a raven,

its veil hanging loose, its hide pitch-black,

Its veil hanging loose, its hide pitch-black,

مُلقى السُدولِ مُغلَقُ الأَبوابِ

مُلقى السُدولِ مُغلَقُ الأَبوابِ

حَتّى بَدا الصُبحُ مِنَ الحِجابِ

حَتّى بَدا الصُبحُ مِنَ الحِجابِ

its curtains let fall, its doors locked—

Its curtains lowered, its doors shut,

until dawn appeared from behind the veil,

Until dawn emerges from behind the veil,

كَغُرَّةٍ جَلَت عَنِ الشَبابِ

كَغُرَّةٍ جَلَت عَنِ الشَبابِ

بِكَلبَةٍ سَريعَةِ الوِثابِ

بِكَلبَةٍ سَريعَةِ الوِثابِ

like a white forehead-blaze shining clear of the mist.

Like a white forelock that has left youth behind,

With a female hound, swift to spring,

With a female hound swift in her leaps.

تَنسابُ مِثلَ الأَرقَمِ المُنسابِ

تَنسابُ مِثلَ الأَرقَمِ المُنسابِ

كَأَنَّما تَنظُرُ عَن شِهابِ

كَأَنَّما تَنظُرُ عَن شِهابِ

she glides like a banded serpent gliding,

She glides like a gliding speckled snake,

as though she gazed out from a shooting star

As though she looks out from a firebrand,

بِمُقلَةٍ وَقفٍ عَلى الصَوابِ

بِمُقلَةٍ وَقفٍ عَلى الصَوابِ

فَكَم وَكَم مِن أَجرَدٍ وَثّابِ

فَكَم وَكَم مِن أَجرَدٍ وَثّابِ

with an unwavering eye fixed upon the mark.

With an eye fixed on the mark.

How many—how many—a sleek, bounding beast

And how many, how many a sleek, bounding beast

قَد قَصَمَتهُ بِشَبا الأَنيابِ

قَد قَصَمَتهُ بِشَبا الأَنيابِ

وَمَنَعَتهُ جَولَةَ الذَهابِ

وَمَنَعَتهُ جَولَةَ الذَهابِ

has she broken with the keen edge of her fangs,

She has crushed with the sharp tips of her fangs,

and the wolves’ charge has stopped it!

And kept from darting away.