رب لَيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَقب البَغي

رب لَيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَقب البَغي

طَويل المَدى مِن التَعقيب

طَويل المَدى مِن التَعقيب

Many a night seems the aftermath of oppression,

Lord of a night that seems, after rebellion's trail,

long in duration through its continuing repercussions.

Far-reaching in pursuit, not soon to fail,

لاحَت الزاهِرات فيهِ كَزَهرٍ

لاحَت الزاهِرات فيهِ كَزَهرٍ

تَتَلألأ غُب السَحاب السَكوب

تَتَلألأ غُب السَحاب السَكوب

The radiant stars appeared in it like blossoms,

Flowers appeared in it like a flower

sparkling after the pouring clouds.

That glitters through the mist of pouring hail,

أَو كَزُرق الرِماح في النَقع تَبدو

أَو كَزُرق الرِماح في النَقع تَبدو

أَن كَبيض القَطا بِرَوضٍ قَشيب

أَن كَبيض القَطا بِرَوضٍ قَشيب

Or like blue spearheads amid dust, they appear

Or like the blue of lances in the plain appearing

to be like sandgrouse eggs in a fresh meadow.

As whiteness of the tents in pasture stale,

وَالثُريا كَأَنَّها فَلة الدرع

وَالثُريا كَأَنَّها فَلة الدرع

أَو العَقرب البَطيء الدَبيب

أَو العَقرب البَطيء الدَبيب

And the Pleiades seem a chink in a coat of mail,

And Pleiades like links in coat of mail,

or a scorpion creeping slowly.

Or scorpion, barely creeping, slow in tail,

وَكَأَنَّ الجَوزاء خود تَبَدَت

وَكَأَنَّ الجَوزاء خود تَبَدَت

في وِشاح مِن لُؤلُؤ مَثقوب

في وِشاح مِن لُؤلُؤ مَثقوب

And Orion seems a young beauty appearing

And Gemini, whose cloak seemed to unveil,

in a sash of pierced pearls.

Pearled fabric, or pearls in patterned veil,

أَو كَمثل الغَريق يَسبح في زا

أَو كَمثل الغَريق يَسبح في زا

خر يَمٍّ أَو أَقطَع مَصلوب

خر يَمٍّ أَو أَقطَع مَصلوب

Or like a drowning man swimming in a surging

Or like a swimmer, sailing down a flood,

sea, or a crucified man with a severed hand.

Or crucified, high on a rugged pale.

وَكَأَنَّ المَريخ جذوة نارٍ

وَكَأَنَّ المَريخ جذوة نارٍ

حينَ يَبدو وَضوؤهُ كَاللَهيب

حينَ يَبدو وَضوؤهُ كَاللَهيب

And Mars seems an ember of fire

Mars seemed a glowing ember fanned to flame,

when it appears, its light like a blaze.

As, when it rose, its glimmering burst out like a blaze,

وَسهيل كَأَنَّهُ قَلبٌ صَب

وَسهيل كَأَنَّهُ قَلبٌ صَب

فَاجأته بِالخَوف عَين الرَقيب

فَاجأته بِالخَوف عَين الرَقيب

And Canopus seems a lovesick heart,

And Suhayl's heart, when startled by her aim,

suddenly frightened by the watcher's eye.

The watchman's eye, was filled with fear's amaze.

وَكَأَنَّ الهِلال لَما تَبَدى

وَكَأَنَّ الهِلال لَما تَبَدى

شَطر طوق المرآة ذي التَذهيب

شَطر طوق المرآة ذي التَذهيب

And the crescent, when it appeared, seemed

The new moon, when it shone, seemed to reclaim

half the gilded rim of a mirror,

A segment of the collar's golden glaze,

أَو كَقوس قَد اِنحَنَت طَرفاه

أَو كَقوس قَد اِنحَنَت طَرفاه

أَو كَنون في مُهرَقِ مَكتوب

أَو كَنون في مُهرَقِ مَكتوب

or a bow whose two ends have curved,

Or like a bow whose ends approached to frame

or the letter nūn on an inscribed parchment.

A nun written on parchment in those days.

وَكَأَنَّ النُجوم لَما تَدانى ال

وَكَأَنَّ النُجوم لَما تَدانى ال

صبح أَجفان مُستَهام كَئيب

صبح أَجفان مُستَهام كَئيب

And the stars seemed, as there approached the

The stars, when dawn drew near, still palely gleamed,

dawn, the eyelids of a sorrowful, lovesick man,

Like lids of one whose sleep is filled with care,

شاخِصات إِلى السَماء فَما

شاخِصات إِلى السَماء فَما

تَطرف أَجفانها مِن التَغديب

تَطرف أَجفانها مِن التَغديب

staring toward the sky; never do

Turned to the sky, nor from their waking dreamed

their eyelids blink, from torment [uncertain reading].

Of closing eyes that rested from their stare.

زاهِرات كَأَنَّها زَمَن

زاهِرات كَأَنَّها زَمَن

الجاهل في حندس كَدَهر الأَديب

الجاهل في حندس كَدَهر الأَديب

Radiant, as though they were the days

Blossoms they seemed, from days before Islam,

of the ignorant man, in darkness like the life of the man of letters.

In poet's necklace, as the learned wear.