وَظَلامِ لَيلٍ لا شِهابِ بِأُفقِهِ

إِلّا لِنَصلِ مُهَنَّدٍ أَو لَهذَمِ

And the dark night with no shooting stars in its horizon

Except for the flashes of lightning or for a glint

لاطَمتُ لُجَّتَهُ بِمَوجَةِ أَشهَبٍ

يُرمى بِها بَحرُ الظَلامِ فَتَرتَمي

I plunged into its deep darkness with a dashing wave

Cast by an ocean of darkness then it crashed

قَد سالَ في وَجهِ الدُجُنَّةِ غُرَّةً

فَاللَيلُ في شِيَةِ الأَغَرِّ الأَدهَمِ

The virgin night poured down in the face of darkness

So the night in the fear of the blackness remains obscure

أَطلَعتُ مِنهُ وَمِن سِنانٍ أَزرَقٍ

وَمُهَنَّدٍ عَضبٍ ثَلاثَةَ أَنجُمِ

I looked at it and at two blue shining stars

And an angry, flashing one, three stars

إِن يَعتَكِر لَيلُ العَجاجَةِ تَستَتِر

أَو يَعتَرِض شَيطانُ حَربٍ تُرجَمِ

If the night of bleakness is clouded or

The devil of war poses a threat and is bombard

جاذَبتُهُ فَضلَ العِنانِ وَقَد طَغى

فَاِنصاعَ يَنسابُ اِنسِيابَ الأَرقَمِ

I pulled its bridle as it transgressed all bounds

It yielded withdrawing gently like a dislodged rope

في خُضرِ عودٍ بِالأَراكِ مُوَشَّحٍ

أَو رَأسِ طَودٍ بِالغَمامِ مُعَمَّمِ

In the green wood smeared with thickets

Or the top of a mountain clad with clouds

أَو بَحرِ نَحرٍ بِالحَبابِ مُقَلَّدٍ

أَو وَجهِ خَرقٍ بِالضَريبِ مُلَثَّمِ

Or the sea’s abyss adorned with sea shells

Or the torn face veiled with woven hood

حَتّى تَهادى الغُصنُ يَأطُرُ مَتنُهُ

طَرَباً لِشَدوِ الطائِرِ المُتَرَنِّمِ

Until the branch sways to and fro trembling

At the singing of the bird chanting melodies

وَكَأَنَّ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ رايَةُ ظافِرٍ

نَفَضَت بِهِ الهَيجاءُ نَضحاً مِن دَمِ

And as if the shine of dawn is the flag of a victor

Brandished by elation pouring from blood