وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ مِنَ الكَلالِ أَهِلَّةٌ

وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ مِنَ الكَلالِ أَهِلَّةٌ

أَو مِثلُهُنَّ عَطائِفُ الأَقواسِ

أَو مِثلُهُنَّ عَطائِفُ الأَقواسِ

And as though, from exhaustion, they were crescent moons,

As though they were the tents of the night encampment

And as if, from exhaustion, they are crescent moons,

Or like them were the curved limbs of bows.

Or like them, gentle curving bows

Or their likeness is the curvature of bows;

قودٌ طَواها ما طَوَت مِن مَهمَهٍ

قودٌ طَواها ما طَوَت مِن مَهمَهٍ

نائي الصُوى وَمَناهِجٍ أَدراسِ

نائي الصُوى وَمَناهِجٍ أَدراسِ

Long-necked, made gaunt by the wilderness they traversed,

Led along by whatever the day led them to

Gaunt mounts, worn thin by the wilderness they traversed,

With distant waymarks, and by worn-away paths.

Of far-off dwellings and well-trodden paths

With distant landmarks and paths long since effaced.