ربَّmany a ليلٍnight ترىyou see المجرَّةthe Milky Way فيهin it
ربَّ ليلٍ ترى المجرَّة فيه
ذاتhaving خطٍّa line ينضيwearies العيونthe eyes دقيقfine
ذات خطٍّ ينضي العيون دقيق
On many a night you see the Milky Way,
Lord of a night in which you see the galaxy
With a fine line that wearies the eyes;
With a fine line that delights the eyes
حسبتهُshe thought it الجوزاal-Jawza طريقاًa road إلىto الصthe dawn (first fragment)
حسبتهُ الجوزا طريقاً إلى الص
بحِdawn (remaining fragment) فباتتso she spent the night وعينهاand her eye للطريقon the road
بحِ فباتت وعينها للطريق
Al-Jawza thought it a road to day-
I thought it the Milky Way to dawn
break, so she spent the night with her eye on the road.
But it remained and its eye on the path