وَبُتُّand I spent the night أُراعيI watch كَوكَباًa star بَعدَafter كَوكَبa star
وَبُتُّ أُراعي كَوكَباً بَعدَ كَوكَب
أَوانat the time of أَفولsetting حائنdue وَطُلوعand rising
أَوان أَفول حائن وَطُلوع
I spent the night watching, star after star,
And I spent the night watching star after star,
at the hour of an impending setting and rising,
at the appointed time of setting and rising.
إِذاwhen سِرنَthey moved سَيراًa movement وَحداًsingly خَلفbehind بَعsome of them (opening fragment)
إِذا سِرنَ سَيراً وَحداً خَلف بَع
ضِهاsome of them (closing fragment) إِلىto بَعضِهاone another مَشدودةbound بِنسوعwith straps
ضِها إِلى بَعضِها مَشدودة بِنسوع
when they journeyed on, a camel-driver’s chant behind some—
When they moved singly, one behind
—of them, each bound to the next with leather girths.
another, bound to one another by straps,
كَأَنَّas though موشيembroidered الجَوِّthe sky عِندَwhen اِكتِمالِهاtheir completeness
كَأَنَّ موشي الجَوِّ عِندَ اِكتِمالِها
جُلودskins أَفاعvipers أَوor نَسيجthe weave دُروعcoats of mail
جُلود أَفاع أَو نَسيج دُروع
Orion’s stride, when its figure was complete, was like
as though the embroidered sky, when their array was complete,
the skins of vipers, or the weave of coats of mail.
were vipers' skins or the weave of coats of mail.
كَأَنَّas though اِكتِتامconcealment المُشتَريJupiter فيin سَحابَةٍa cloud
كَأَنَّ اِكتِتام المُشتَري في سَحابَةٍ
وَديعَةًan entrusted deposit سرٍa secret فيin ضَميرthe inner heart مُذيعone who divulges
وَديعَةً سرٍ في ضَمير مُذيع
Jupiter hiding within a cloud was like
As though Jupiter's concealment in a cloud
a secret entrusted to the heart of one who tells all.
were a secret entrusted to the heart of one who divulges secrets.
كَأَنَّas though سُهَيلاًSuhayl (Canopus) وَالنُجومand the stars أَمامَهُahead of him
كَأَنَّ سُهَيلاً وَالنُجوم أَمامَهُ
يُعارِضهاhe keeps pace with them راعٍa shepherd وَراءَbehind قَطيعa flock
يُعارِضها راعٍ وَراءَ قَطيع
Canopus, with the stars before it, seemed as though
As though Suhayl, with the stars ahead of him,
a shepherd behind his flock were keeping pace with them.
keeping pace with them, were a shepherd behind a flock.
إِذاwhen قامَhe rose مِنfrom مَرماتِهِhis station قُلتI said راهبa monk
إِذا قامَ مِن مَرماتِهِ قُلت راهب
أَطالَhe prolonged اِنتِصاباًstanding upright بَعدafter طُلوعrising رُكوعbowing
أَطالَ اِنتِصاباً بَعد طُلوع رُكوع
When it rose from its station, I said, “A monk—
When he rose from his station, I said: 'A monk
standing long after a long bow.”
who stood long upright after rising from a bow.'
وَقَدand already لاحَتappeared الشعرىSirius العَبورthe Crossing One كَأَنَّهاas though she were
وَقَد لاحَت الشعرى العَبور كَأَنَّها
تَقلبflickering طَرفan eye بِالدُموعwith tears هموعstreaming
تَقلب طَرف بِالدُموع هموع
Now Sirius the Crosser had appeared, as though she were
And Sirius, the Crossing One, had appeared, as though she were
the flicker of an eye with tears streaming down.
the flicker of an eye streaming with tears.
وَأَصبَحَتand she became الجَوزاءOrion فيin أُفقthe horizon غَربِهاher setting
وَأَصبَحَت الجَوزاء في أُفق غَربِها
تَميلshe leans كَنشوانlike a drunken man هُناكthere صَريعfallen prostrate
تَميل كَنشوان هُناك صَريع
By morning Orion stood on the western horizon,
And Orion was now on the horizon of her setting,
reeling like a drunkard fallen there.
leaning like a drunken man sprawled there.
وَراحَتand she began تَمُدُّstretching out الباعthe span of both arms حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
وَراحَت تَمُدُّ الباع حَتّى كَأَنَّما
يُقالit is said لَهاto her قيسيmeasure السَماءthe sky وَبوعيand measure in armspans
يُقال لَها قيسي السَماء وَبوعي
She began stretching her full arm-span, until it seemed
And she went on stretching her arms, until it seemed
she was told: “Measure the sky; span it with your arms.”
she was told: 'Measure the sky, and span it with your arms!'
إِلىuntil أَنthat أَجابَanswered اللَيلthe night داعيthe caller of صُبحِهِits dawn
إِلى أَن أَجابَ اللَيل داعي صُبحِهِ
وَكانَand he had been يُناديcalling مِنهُfrom it غَيرnot سَميعhearing
وَكانَ يُنادي مِنهُ غَير سَميع
Until Night answered the herald of its dawn,
Until the night answered its dawn's caller,
who had long called to one that could not hear.
whose earlier calls had found it deaf.
