جَلَتِ الظَلماءُ بِللَهَبِ

إِذ بَدَت في اللَيلِ كَالشُهُبِ

The darkness shone with flames

When stars appeared in the night like falling stars

فَاِنجَلَت في تاجِها فَجَلَت

ظُلَمَ الأَحزانِ وَالكُرَبِ

So it shone in its crown and excelled

The darkness of sorrows and worries disappeared

خُرَّدٌ شابَت ذَوائِبُها

وَفُروعُ اللَيلِ لَم تَشِبِ

A withered old woman whose braids turned white

And the branches of the night did not turn grey

سَفَرَت كَالشَمسِ ضاحِكَةً

مِن تَواري الشَمسِ في الحُجُبِ

It rose like a laughing sun

From the setting of the sun behind the veils

ما رَأَينا قَبلَ مَنظَرِها

ضاحِكاً في زيِّ مُنتَحِبِ

We have never seen before its sight

Laughing in the garb of a mourner

كَيفَ لا تَحلو ضَرائِبُها

وَبِها ضَربٌ مِنَ الضَرَبِ

How can her braids not be sweet

When she is a kind of gentleness

خِلتُها وَاللَيلِ مُعتَكِرٌ

وَنُجومُ الأَفقِ لَم تَغِبِ

Her tresses and the night is turbaned

And the stars of the horizon did not set

قُضُباً مِن فِضَّةٍ غُرِسَت

فَوقَ كُثبانٍ مِنَ الذَهَبِ

Spears of silver were planted

Above sand dunes of gold

أَو يَواقيتاً مُنَضَّدَةً

بَينَ أَيدينا عَلى قُضُبِ

Or rubies lined up

Between our hands on rods

أَو أَساريعاً عَلى عَمَدٍ

أَشرَقَت في زِيِّ مُرتَقِبِ

Or lamps shining

In the garb of an onlooker

أَو رِماحاً في العِدى طُعِنَت

فَغَدَت مُحمَرَّةَ العَذَبِ

Or spears stabbed in battle

So they turned red and gentle

أَو سِهاماً نَصلُها ذَهَبٌ

لِسِوى الظَلماءِ لَم تُصِبِ

Or arrows their blades made of gold

Except for the darkness they did not hit

أَو أَعالي حُمرِ أَلوِيَةٍ

نُشِرَت في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبِ

Or the high red flags

Spread out in an arid expanse

أَو شَعافَ الرومِ قَد رُفِعَت

فَوقَ أَطرافِ القَنا الأَشِبِ

Or the evening glow was raised

Above the edges of the curved canal

أَو قِياناً مِن ذَوائِبِها

شَفَقٌ لِلشَمسِ لَم يَغِبِ

Or from her braids

An afterglow for the sun that did not set

أَو شَواظاً لِلقِرى رُفِعَت

تَتَراءى في ذُرى كُثُبِ

Or lights were raised for the villages

Visible in the far away sand dunes

أَو لَظى نارِ الحُباحِبِ قَد

لَمَعَت لِلعَينِ عَن لَبَبِ

Or the flames of passions shone

To the eye beyond imagination

أَو عُيونَ الأُسدِ موصَدَةً

في ذُرى غابٍ مِنَ القَصَبِ

Or the eyes of the lions closed

In the far away thickets of reed

أَو خُدودَ الغيدِ ساطِعَةً

أَشرَقَت في فاقِعِ النُقُبِ

Or the cheeks of the young women shining

Illuminating the surface of the dunes

أَو شَقيقَ الرَوضِ مُنتَظِماً

فَوقَ مَجدولٍ مِنَ القَصَبِ

Or the anemones of the meadow arranged

Above a stream of reed

أَو ذُرى نَيلوفَرٍ رُفِعَت

فَوقَ قُضبانٍ مِنَ الغَرَبِ

Or far away water lilies raised

Above rods from the west