طَلَعَتْ كالقَمَرِ التَّمِّ بَدَر

طَلَعَتْ كالقَمَرِ التَّمِّ بَدَر

وَمَشَتْ مَشْيَةَ ذي الفَتْكِ خَطَر

وَمَشَتْ مَشْيَةَ ذي الفَتْكِ خَطَر

She rose like the full moon coming into view,

She rose like the full moon of darkness,

And walked like a deadly assailant swaggering;

And walked with the gait of one intrepid and bold,

وَتَثَنَّتْ كَتَثَنِّي الغُصْنِ فِي

وَتَثَنَّتْ كَتَثَنِّي الغُصْنِ فِي

يَوْمه رِيْحٍ وَغَمَامٍ وَمَطَرْ

يَوْمه رِيْحٍ وَغَمَامٍ وَمَطَرْ

And she swayed as a branch sways on

And swayed like a branch in the day

Its day of wind, cloud, and rain.

Of wind and clouds and rain.

لاَثَتِ الكَوْرَ عَلَى مَفْرِقِهَا

لاَثَتِ الكَوْرَ عَلَى مَفْرِقِهَا

فَرَأَيْنَا هَالَةً حَوْلَ القَمَرْ

فَرَأَيْنَا هَالَةً حَوْلَ القَمَرْ

She wound the turban’s folds over the parting of her hair,

She folded the tent over its ridge

So we saw a halo around the moon.

And we saw a halo around the moon.

شُبِّهَتْ بالرَّاحِ فَاشْتُقَّ لَهَا

شُبِّهَتْ بالرَّاحِ فَاشْتُقَّ لَهَا

اسْمُهَا مِنْهَا فَسَمَّوهَا سُكُرْ

اسْمُهَا مِنْهَا فَسَمَّوهَا سُكُرْ

She was likened to wine, so they derived for her

She was likened to the gentle breeze,

Her name from it, and named her Sukr—“Intoxication.”

So she was named for it and called “Sukr.”

ظَبْيَةٌ مَخْلُوقَةٌ أَقْسَامُهَا

ظَبْيَةٌ مَخْلُوقَةٌ أَقْسَامُهَا

مِنْ قَضِيْبٍ وَكَثِيْبٍ وَقَمَرْ

مِنْ قَضِيْبٍ وَكَثِيْبٍ وَقَمَرْ

A gazelle whose parts are fashioned

A gazelle created in parts

From a slender branch, a sand dune, and a moon.

Of cane and dune and moon.