وَلَيلٍ أَسوَدِ الجِلبابِ داجٍ

كَفَرعِ الخودِ أَو عَينِ الغَزالِ

A night black-cloaked spreads

Like a cheek's branch or a gazelle's eye

كَأَنَّ كَواكِبَ الجَوزاءِ فيهِ

زُمَيَّلَةٌ مُفَجَّرَةُ البِزالِ

As if the Pleiades' stars in it

Were a thrush scattered open its chicks

تَمَيَّسَ بِالحُلى قُرطُ الثُرَيّا

إِذا اِنخَفَضَت وَتُوِّجَ بِالهِلالِ

The ear-rings shone with jewelry

When it descended crowned by the crescent

رَكِبتُ صُدورَهُ وَتَرَكتُ خَيلي

تَوالى تَحتَ أَنجُمِهِ التَوالي

I rode its chests and left my horses

Following one another under its succession of stars

وَيَخبِطنَ الصَباحَ إِذا تَبَدّى

كَما يَكرَعنَ في الماءِ الزُلالِ

And they kick morning when it dawns

As they paw the water the smooth stones