وَرَبَّand many a لَيلٍnight باتَتspent the night عَساكِرُهُits armies
وَرَبَّ لَيلٍ باتَت عَساكِرُهُ
تَحملُcarrying فيin الجَوthe sky سودblack راياتِbanners
تَحملُ في الجَو سود راياتِ
And many a night whose armies spent the night
By the Lord of the night whose armies
Bearing black banners in the sky,
Bear aloft in the air black banners
لامِعَةًgleaming فَوقَهاabove them أَسِنَتَهاtheir spearheads
لامِعَةً فَوقَها أَسِنَتَها
مثلlike الأَزاهيرthe blossoms وَسطَamid رَوضاتgardens
مثل الأَزاهير وَسطَ رَوضات
Their spearheads gleaming above them
Gleaming above them their sharp blades
Like blossoms amid gardens.
Like flowers amidst meadows.
تَرىyou see سَهيلاSuhayl أَمامَهاbefore them كلفاenamored
تَرى سَهيلا أَمامَها كلفا
تَخالَهُyou imagine it إِذwhen بَداit appeared لِميقاتfor an appointed time
تَخالَهُ إِذ بَدا لِميقات
You see Suhayl before them, enamored;
You see Suhail before them as if
You imagine it, when it appears at the appointed hour,
It stirred to meet them at its hour.
ترسshield مَليحhandsome أَخيa practitioner of مثاقفةfencing
ترس مَليح أَخي مثاقفة
يَديرهhe turns it فيin الدُجىthe darkness إِداراتrepeated turns
يَديره في الدُجى إِدارات
To be the shield of a handsome fencer,
A fine shield, my brother, revolving
Who turns it round and round in the darkness,
In the darkness with movements.
يَرفَعَهُhe raises it تَارةat one time وَيخفضهand he lowers it
يَرفَعَهُ تَارة وَيخفضه
دونَbelow مَجاريthe courses of النُجومthe stars تاراتat times
دونَ مَجاري النُجوم تارات
Raising it at one time and lowering it
Raising it at times and lowering it
Below the courses of the stars at other times.
Beneath the paths of the stars at times.