ولقد سريتُ بفتيةٍ قطعوا الفلا

ولقد سريتُ بفتيةٍ قطعوا الفلا

بعزائمٍ مثلِ الصوارم سُلّتِ

بعزائمٍ مثلِ الصوارم سُلّتِ

Indeed, I journeyed by night with young men who crossed the trackless waste,

And indeed, I traveled by night with young men who crossed the wilderness,

their resolves like keen-edged swords drawn forth.

with resolves like sharp swords unsheathed.

وكأنّ ليلة عزمهم زَنْجِيّةٌ

وكأنّ ليلة عزمهم زَنْجِيّةٌ

زِينَتْ بِحلْيِ نجومها فتحلّتِ

زِينَتْ بِحلْيِ نجومها فتحلّتِ

And it was as though the night of their venture were a woman of the Zanj:

And the night of their resolve seemed a black African woman,

arrayed in the jewels of her stars, she adorned herself.

adorned with her stars' jewels, and thus decked in finery.

غَمَسَتهُمُ في غَمرَةٍ من هَولها

غَمَسَتهُمُ في غَمرَةٍ من هَولها

صَبَروا لها بِسُرَاهمُ فتَجلّتِ

صَبَروا لها بِسُرَاهمُ فتَجلّتِ

She plunged them into an engulfing flood of her terror;

She plunged them into a flood of her terror;

they bore up against her through their night march, until she cleared away.

they stood firm against her through their night journey, and she cleared away.

وكَأَنَّما عُقَدُ الحَنادس بُوكِرَتْ

وكَأَنَّما عُقَدُ الحَنادس بُوكِرَتْ

بيدٍ من الصبح المنير فحلّت

بيدٍ من الصبح المنير فحلّت

It was as though the knots of deepest darkness had been taken early in hand

And it was as though the knots of deepest darkness were approached at dawn

by a hand of radiant dawn, which then untied them.

by a hand of radiant morning, and so were untied.

وكَأَنّ أَنجُمها على أَعجَازها

وكَأَنّ أَنجُمها على أَعجَازها

دَرَقٌ على أكفال دُهْمٍ وَلّتِ

دَرَقٌ على أكفال دُهْمٍ وَلّتِ

And as though her stars, upon her haunches,

And it was as though her stars, upon her rear,

were shields on the rumps of black steeds that turned away.

were leather shields on the rumps of black steeds that turned away.