سرَت سَحَراً والنجمُ للغرب مائلُ

سرَت سَحَراً والنجمُ للغرب مائلُ

وَلَونُ الدُجى من رَهبة الصُبح حائلُ

وَلَونُ الدُجى من رَهبة الصُبح حائلُ

She journeyed before dawn, while the star inclined westward,

She walked at dawn while the star leaned west

And darkness's hue was paling in dread of dawn.

And the color of dusk was separating from the awe of morning

وَقَد همَّتِ الظَلماءُ في الأُفق بالسُرى

وَقَد همَّتِ الظَلماءُ في الأُفق بالسُرى

كَما همَّ بالسَير الخَليط المزايلُ

كَما همَّ بالسَير الخَليط المزايلُ

And darkness on the horizon was preparing to travel by night,

And the darkness intended in the horizon to journey

As the departing company prepared to set out.

As the mixed company intended to travel

كأَنَّ النجومَ الزُهرَ عيسٌ نوافرٌ

كأَنَّ النجومَ الزُهرَ عيسٌ نوافرٌ

كأَنَّ الدجى ركبٌ من الزِنج قافِلُ

كأَنَّ الدجى ركبٌ من الزِنج قافِلُ

As though the radiant stars were startled white camels,

As if the stars are abundant jasmine

As though darkness were a returning caravan of the Zanj.

As if the dusk is a caravan of Indians

كأَنَّ الثريّا إذ تَجَلَّت خواتِمٌ

كأَنَّ الثريّا إذ تَجَلَّت خواتِمٌ

تحلَّت بها من كفِّ خودٍ أَنامِلُ

تحلَّت بها من كفِّ خودٍ أَنامِلُ

As though the Pleiades, when they appeared, were rings

As if the Pleiades when they appeared were rings

With which the fingers of a tender maiden's hand were adorned.

Adorned with it from a palm of a sleepy fingers

كأَنَّ سهيلاً للنُجوم مُراقِبٌ

كأَنَّ سهيلاً للنُجوم مُراقِبٌ

كأَنَّ السُهى صَبٌّ من العشق ناحلُ

كأَنَّ السُهى صَبٌّ من العشق ناحلُ

As though Suhayl were a watchman over the stars,

As if Suhail is a watcher to the stars

As though al-Suha were a lover wasted by love.

As if the meteors are a pouring love sick

كأَنَّ عَريَّ الأفق بيداءَ سملقٌ

كأَنَّ عَريَّ الأفق بيداءَ سملقٌ

كأَنَّ مَبادي الصُبح فيه مَناهِلُ

كأَنَّ مَبادي الصُبح فيه مَناهِلُ

As though the bare horizon were a flat, barren desert,

As if the horizon is a barren highland

As though dawn's first gleams within it were watering places.

As if the water sources of dawn in it are waterholes

فوافَت يباريها الصَباحُ مماثلا

فوافَت يباريها الصَباحُ مماثلا

وَهَل يَستَوي مثلين حالٍ وعاطلُ

وَهَل يَستَوي مثلين حالٍ وعاطلُ

Then she arrived, with dawn vying with her as an equal.

So it was met by the dawn paralleling it

But can the adorned and the unadorned be equals?

And can two similar conditions be equal, one scant and one abundant?

عجبتُ لمسراها وقد حالَ دونَها

عجبتُ لمسراها وقد حالَ دونَها

شعوبٌ تَسامى للعُلى وَقبائِلُ

شعوبٌ تَسامى للعُلى وَقبائِلُ

I marveled at her night journey, though in her way stood

I wondered at its course though nations lofty and tribes

Peoples and tribes vying for glory.

Have stood in its way

وشيمَت لديها مرهفاتٌ بواترٌ

وشيمَت لديها مرهفاتٌ بواترٌ

وهُزَّت عليها مُشرعاتٌ ذَوابلُ

وهُزَّت عليها مُشرعاتٌ ذَوابلُ

And keen, cleaving swords were drawn before her,

Punishing with it soft pliant swords

And slender, leveled spears were brandished over her.

And unsheathing on it quivering arrows

كَسا الجوَّ منها نفحةٌ عنبريَّةٌ

كَسا الجوَّ منها نفحةٌ عنبريَّةٌ

فنمَّت بريّاها الصَبا والشَمائِلُ

فنمَّت بريّاها الصَبا والشَمائِلُ

A waft of ambergris from her clothed the air,

The air was perfumed with its aromatic scent

So the east and north winds told of her fragrance.

So its banners were waved by the morning breeze and carriers

مهاةٌ لها في كُلِّ قَلبٍ مراتعٌ

مهاةٌ لها في كُلِّ قَلبٍ مراتعٌ

وَبَدر في كُلِّ قَلبٍ منازلُ

وَبَدر في كُلِّ قَلبٍ منازلُ

An oryx doe, with pastures in every heart,

Passionate love for it in every heart are meadows

And a full moon, with mansions in every heart.

And a full moon in every heart are homes

تبدَّت فَقُلتُ الصبحُ أَبيضُ ساطعٌ

تبدَّت فَقُلتُ الصبحُ أَبيضُ ساطعٌ

وَماسَت فَقُلتُ الغصنُ أَخضَرُ مائِلُ

وَماسَت فَقُلتُ الغصنُ أَخضَرُ مائِلُ

She appeared; I said, "Dawn—white and radiant!"

It appeared so I said dawn is bright radiant

And she swayed; I said, "A bough—green and bending!"

And it disappeared so I said the branch is green leaning

تكنَّفها أَترابُها فكأَنَّما

تكنَّفها أَترابُها فكأَنَّما

هيَ البَدرُ بين الأَنجم الزُهر ماثلُ

هيَ البَدرُ بين الأَنجم الزُهر ماثلُ

Her peers surrounded her, and it was as though

Her friends surrounded her as if

She were the full moon standing among the radiant stars.

She is the full moon between stars equal

عليهنّ من ضوءِ الصَباح براقعٌ

عليهنّ من ضوءِ الصَباح براقعٌ

وَمن غَسق اللَيل البَهيم غَلائِلُ

وَمن غَسق اللَيل البَهيم غَلائِلُ

Upon them were face veils of morning light,

On them from the dawn light are veils

And thin robes of the gloom of pitch-black night.

And from the ignorant night shadows

فَما راعَني إِلّا سَلامُ وداعِها

فَما راعَني إِلّا سَلامُ وداعِها

وأَدمعُها في وجنتيها هواملُ

وأَدمعُها في وجنتيها هواملُ

Then nothing startled me but her farewell greeting,

So I was not aware except her goodbye greeting

And her tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

And her tears on her cheeks are trickling

وَقامَت لضمّي والحليُّ مُرِنَّةٌ

وَقامَت لضمّي والحليُّ مُرِنَّةٌ

وقد صُمَّ منها قُلبُها والخَلاخلُ

وقد صُمَّ منها قُلبُها والخَلاخلُ

And she rose to embrace me, her ornaments ringing,

And she stood up to my embrace and the trinket

Though her bracelet and anklets were mute.

Swaying while her heart and anklets from it are silent

هناك اِلتَوَينا للعناق كما اِلتَوى

هناك اِلتَوَينا للعناق كما اِلتَوى

قضيبانِ في رَوضٍ وريق وذابلُ

قضيبانِ في رَوضٍ وريق وذابلُ

There we entwined in an embrace, as do

There we turned to hug each other as two rods turn

Two boughs in a garden, one leafy and one withered.

In a garden, leafy and withering

وَراحَت تَهادى في خُطاها تأَوُّداً

وَراحَت تَهادى في خُطاها تأَوُّداً

كَما يَتَهادى الشاربُ المُتَمايلُ

كَما يَتَهادى الشاربُ المُتَمايلُ

And she departed, swaying with languid steps,

And she went swaying in her steps gently

As a reeling drinker staggers along.

As the drinking companion sways tottering

فَلِلَّهِ وَصلٌ ما أَقلَّ زمانَه

فَلِلَّهِ وَصلٌ ما أَقلَّ زمانَه

كذلك أَزمانُ الوصال قَلائِلُ

كذلك أَزمانُ الوصال قَلائِلُ

A union, by God—how brief its span!

By God the days of union were short

So it is: the times of union are few.

That’s how days of union are few