وَظَلامِ لَيلٍ لا شِهابِ بِأُفقِهِ

وَظَلامِ لَيلٍ لا شِهابِ بِأُفقِهِ

إِلّا لِنَصلِ مُهَنَّدٍ أَو لَهذَمِ

إِلّا لِنَصلِ مُهَنَّدٍ أَو لَهذَمِ

Many a night's darkness, with no shooting star on its horizon

And the dark night with no shooting stars in its horizon

save one from an Indian sword-blade or a keen spear,

Except for the flashes of lightning or for a glint

لاطَمتُ لُجَّتَهُ بِمَوجَةِ أَشهَبٍ

لاطَمتُ لُجَّتَهُ بِمَوجَةِ أَشهَبٍ

يُرمى بِها بَحرُ الظَلامِ فَتَرتَمي

يُرمى بِها بَحرُ الظَلامِ فَتَرتَمي

I buffeted its depths with the wave of a gray steed,

I plunged into its deep darkness with a dashing wave

cast against the sea of darkness, then surging onward.

Cast by an ocean of darkness then it crashed

قَد سالَ في وَجهِ الدُجُنَّةِ غُرَّةً

قَد سالَ في وَجهِ الدُجُنَّةِ غُرَّةً

فَاللَيلُ في شِيَةِ الأَغَرِّ الأَدهَمِ

فَاللَيلُ في شِيَةِ الأَغَرِّ الأَدهَمِ

It streamed as a white blaze across the face of darkness,

The virgin night poured down in the face of darkness

so night wore the markings of a blaze-faced black horse.

So the night in the fear of the blackness remains obscure

أَطلَعتُ مِنهُ وَمِن سِنانٍ أَزرَقٍ

أَطلَعتُ مِنهُ وَمِن سِنانٍ أَزرَقٍ

وَمُهَنَّدٍ عَضبٍ ثَلاثَةَ أَنجُمِ

وَمُهَنَّدٍ عَضبٍ ثَلاثَةَ أَنجُمِ

I raised—from it, from a blue spearhead,

I looked at it and at two blue shining stars

and from a keen Indian sword—three stars.

And an angry, flashing one, three stars

إِن يَعتَكِر لَيلُ العَجاجَةِ تَستَتِر

إِن يَعتَكِر لَيلُ العَجاجَةِ تَستَتِر

أَو يَعتَرِض شَيطانُ حَربٍ تُرجَمِ

أَو يَعتَرِض شَيطانُ حَربٍ تُرجَمِ

If the dust-cloud's night grows dense, they hide;

If the night of bleakness is clouded or

or, if a demon of war bars the way, they are hurled at it.

The devil of war poses a threat and is bombard

جاذَبتُهُ فَضلَ العِنانِ وَقَد طَغى

جاذَبتُهُ فَضلَ العِنانِ وَقَد طَغى

فَاِنصاعَ يَنسابُ اِنسِيابَ الأَرقَمِ

فَاِنصاعَ يَنسابُ اِنسِيابَ الأَرقَمِ

I tugged against him at the slack reins when he had grown unruly;

I pulled its bridle as it transgressed all bounds

so he yielded, gliding like a speckled serpent,

It yielded withdrawing gently like a dislodged rope

في خُضرِ عودٍ بِالأَراكِ مُوَشَّحٍ

في خُضرِ عودٍ بِالأَراكِ مُوَشَّحٍ

أَو رَأسِ طَودٍ بِالغَمامِ مُعَمَّمِ

أَو رَأسِ طَودٍ بِالغَمامِ مُعَمَّمِ

through the greenery of a wood girdled with arak trees,

In the green wood smeared with thickets

or a mountain's head, turbaned with clouds,

Or the top of a mountain clad with clouds

أَو بَحرِ نَحرٍ بِالحَبابِ مُقَلَّدٍ

أَو بَحرِ نَحرٍ بِالحَبابِ مُقَلَّدٍ

أَو وَجهِ خَرقٍ بِالضَريبِ مُلَثَّمِ

أَو وَجهِ خَرقٍ بِالضَريبِ مُلَثَّمِ

or a sea's breast, necklaced with foam,

Or the sea’s abyss adorned with sea shells

or a desert's face, veiled with frost,

Or the torn face veiled with woven hood

حَتّى تَهادى الغُصنُ يَأطُرُ مَتنُهُ

حَتّى تَهادى الغُصنُ يَأطُرُ مَتنُهُ

طَرَباً لِشَدوِ الطائِرِ المُتَرَنِّمِ

طَرَباً لِشَدوِ الطائِرِ المُتَرَنِّمِ

until the bough swayed, its back bending

Until the branch sways to and fro trembling

in rapture at the warbling bird's song.

At the singing of the bird chanting melodies

وَكَأَنَّ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ رايَةُ ظافِرٍ

وَكَأَنَّ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ رايَةُ ظافِرٍ

نَفَضَت بِهِ الهَيجاءُ نَضحاً مِن دَمِ

نَفَضَت بِهِ الهَيجاءُ نَضحاً مِن دَمِ

And dawn's light seemed a victor's banner,

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

over which battle had shaken a spray of blood.

Brandished by elation pouring from blood