وَلَيلٍ أَسوَدِ الجِلبابِ داجٍ

وَلَيلٍ أَسوَدِ الجِلبابِ داجٍ

كَفَرعِ الخودِ أَو عَينِ الغَزالِ

كَفَرعِ الخودِ أَو عَينِ الغَزالِ

And a night, black-cloaked and pitch-dark,

A night black-cloaked spreads

like a maiden’s tresses or a gazelle’s eye.

Like a cheek's branch or a gazelle's eye

كَأَنَّ كَواكِبَ الجَوزاءِ فيهِ

كَأَنَّ كَواكِبَ الجَوزاءِ فيهِ

زُمَيَّلَةٌ مُفَجَّرَةُ البِزالِ

زُمَيَّلَةٌ مُفَجَّرَةُ البِزالِ

As though the stars of Orion within it

As if the Pleiades' stars in it

were a little waterskin with its tap set gushing.

Were a thrush scattered open its chicks

تَمَيَّسَ بِالحُلى قُرطُ الثُرَيّا

تَمَيَّسَ بِالحُلى قُرطُ الثُرَيّا

إِذا اِنخَفَضَت وَتُوِّجَ بِالهِلالِ

إِذا اِنخَفَضَت وَتُوِّجَ بِالهِلالِ

The Pleiades’ earring swayed with jewels

The ear-rings shone with jewelry

when they sank low, and the night was crowned with the crescent.

When it descended crowned by the crescent

رَكِبتُ صُدورَهُ وَتَرَكتُ خَيلي

رَكِبتُ صُدورَهُ وَتَرَكتُ خَيلي

تَوالى تَحتَ أَنجُمِهِ التَوالي

تَوالى تَحتَ أَنجُمِهِ التَوالي

I rode through its early hours and left my horses

I rode its chests and left my horses

following one another beneath its following stars,

Following one another under its succession of stars

وَيَخبِطنَ الصَباحَ إِذا تَبَدّى

وَيَخبِطنَ الصَباحَ إِذا تَبَدّى

كَما يَكرَعنَ في الماءِ الزُلالِ

كَما يَكرَعنَ في الماءِ الزُلالِ

and trampling the dawn when it appears,

And they kick morning when it dawns

as they wade into limpid water to drink.

As they paw the water the smooth stones