رب لَيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَقب البَغي

طَويل المَدى مِن التَعقيب

Lord of a night that seems, after rebellion's trail,

Far-reaching in pursuit, not soon to fail,

لاحَت الزاهِرات فيهِ كَزَهرٍ

تَتَلألأ غُب السَحاب السَكوب

Flowers appeared in it like a flower

That glitters through the mist of pouring hail,

أَو كَزُرق الرِماح في النَقع تَبدو

أَن كَبيض القَطا بِرَوضٍ قَشيب

Or like the blue of lances in the plain appearing

As whiteness of the tents in pasture stale,

وَالثُريا كَأَنَّها فَلة الدرع

أَو العَقرب البَطيء الدَبيب

And Pleiades like links in coat of mail,

Or scorpion, barely creeping, slow in tail,

وَكَأَنَّ الجَوزاء خود تَبَدَت

في وِشاح مِن لُؤلُؤ مَثقوب

And Gemini, whose cloak seemed to unveil,

Pearled fabric, or pearls in patterned veil,

أَو كَمثل الغَريق يَسبح في زا

خر يَمٍّ أَو أَقطَع مَصلوب

Or like a swimmer, sailing down a flood,

Or crucified, high on a rugged pale.

وَكَأَنَّ المَريخ جذوة نارٍ

حينَ يَبدو وَضوؤهُ كَاللَهيب

Mars seemed a glowing ember fanned to flame,

As, when it rose, its glimmering burst out like a blaze,

وَسهيل كَأَنَّهُ قَلبٌ صَب

فَاجأته بِالخَوف عَين الرَقيب

And Suhayl's heart, when startled by her aim,

The watchman's eye, was filled with fear's amaze.

وَكَأَنَّ الهِلال لَما تَبَدى

شَطر طوق المرآة ذي التَذهيب

The new moon, when it shone, seemed to reclaim

A segment of the collar's golden glaze,

أَو كَقوس قَد اِنحَنَت طَرفاه

أَو كَنون في مُهرَقِ مَكتوب

Or like a bow whose ends approached to frame

A nun written on parchment in those days.

وَكَأَنَّ النُجوم لَما تَدانى ال

صبح أَجفان مُستَهام كَئيب

The stars, when dawn drew near, still palely gleamed,

Like lids of one whose sleep is filled with care,

شاخِصات إِلى السَماء فَما

تَطرف أَجفانها مِن التَغديب

Turned to the sky, nor from their waking dreamed

Of closing eyes that rested from their stare.

زاهِرات كَأَنَّها زَمَن

الجاهل في حندس كَدَهر الأَديب

Blossoms they seemed, from days before Islam,

In poet's necklace, as the learned wear.