أَلا زاحَمَ اللَيلَ بي أَشقَرٌ

أَلا زاحَمَ اللَيلَ بي أَشقَرٌ

تَصَوَّبَ تَحتَ الدُجى كَوكَبا

تَصَوَّبَ تَحتَ الدُجى كَوكَبا

Lo, a chestnut steed jostled the night, bearing me,

Alas, a blond knight intruded on my night,

swooping down beneath the gloom like a star.

Aiming like a star beneath the darkness.

فَكادَ وَقَد طارَ بي شُعلَةً

فَكادَ وَقَد طارَ بي شُعلَةً

عَلى فَحمَةِ اللَيلِ أَن تَلهَبا

عَلى فَحمَةِ اللَيلِ أَن تَلهَبا

Then, as it flew bearing me like a flame, it nearly

My passion for him nearly set aflame

blazed upon the night’s black coal.

The darkness of the night.

وَباتَ يُطارِدُهُ بارِقٌ

وَباتَ يُطارِدُهُ بارِقٌ

أَحالَ غُرابَ الدُجى أَشهَبا

أَحالَ غُرابَ الدُجى أَشهَبا

And lightning pursued it through the night,

Lightning bolts chased him,

turning the raven of darkness ash-gray.

Turning the raven of night starry white.

فَذَهَّبَ لَيلَ السُرى عارِضٌ

فَذَهَّبَ لَيلَ السُرى عارِضٌ

يُفَضِّضُ بِالماءِ ما ذَهَّبا

يُفَضِّضُ بِالماءِ ما ذَهَّبا

Then a raincloud gilded the night of travel,

The knight of secrets went on his way,

silvering with water what it had gilded.

Washing away with water what he took away.

فَأَعشَبَ ماجادَ مِن تَلعَةٍ

فَأَعشَبَ ماجادَ مِن تَلعَةٍ

وَطَرَّزَ بِالنورِ ما أَعشَبا

وَطَرَّزَ بِالنورِ ما أَعشَبا

Then it made grassy every hillside it watered,

He adorned with flowers the bare highlands,

and embroidered with blossoms what it had made green.

And embroidered with light what he adorned.

فَرَدّى مَناكِبَ تِلكَ الغُصونِ

فَرَدّى مَناكِبَ تِلكَ الغُصونِ

وَزَرَّرَ أَكفافَ تِلكَ الرُبى

وَزَرَّرَ أَكفافَ تِلكَ الرُبى

Then it cloaked the shoulders of those boughs,

He bent back the shoulders of those branches,

and buttoned the hems of those hills.

And he sprinkled with pearls those meadows.