دَعَتنا لمسرى لَيلَةٍ رَجَبيَّةٍ

جَلا بَرقُها جَونَ الصَناديدِ مُظلِما

She called us to a journey on a rajab night,

Its lightning lit up the dark dens of snakes.

يَزيفُ يَمانِيهِ لأَجزاعِ بيشَةٍ

وَيَعلو شَآميهِ شَرورى وَأَظلَما

Its right side whistles to tree trunks of bishah,

And its left rises with evil and darker still.

وَسِرنا بِمَطلولٍ مِنَ اللَهوِ لَيِّنٍ

يَحُطُّ إِلى السَهل اليَسوميّ أَعصَما

And we walked with soft, indulgent gaits

That descend to the easy, smooth plain.

تَنادَوا بِأَغباشِ السَوادِ فَقَرَّبَت

عَلافيف قَد ظاهَرنَ نِيّاً مُعَوَّما

They called in the darkness of blackness, and brought near

Milk-filled waterskins that plainly overflowed.

يَقرمنَ سَعدانَ الأَباهِر في النَدى

وَعذقَ الخُزامى وَالنصيّ المُجَمَّعا

They pick sa'dan roses in the dew

And clusters of khuzami and nusayri heaped up.

وَإِن سَبَّتَته مالَ جَثلاً كَأَنَّما

سَدى واثِلاتٍ مِن نَواسِجِ خَثعَما

And if she passes a withered jathal it's as though

She crossed withered branches of kuth'am.