أقول وجنحُ الدجى ملبدُ

أقول وجنحُ الدجى ملبدُ

ولليل في كل فجٍّ يدُ

ولليل في كل فجٍّ يدُ

I say, while night’s wing hangs thick with cloud,

I say, while the wing of darkness is clouded,

I speak as night's wings spread

and night has a hand in every mountain pass:

And night has a hand in every mountain pass,

And darkness falls on every canyon's bed

ونحن ضجيعان في مُجْسَدِ

ونحن ضجيعان في مُجْسَدِ

فللّه ما ضُمِّنَ المُجسَدُ

فللّه ما ضُمِّنَ المُجسَدُ

we two lie side by side, wrapped in a crimson-dyed cloth—

And we are two bedfellows in a richly dyed garment—

While we both rest within this sheltering bed

by God, what that cloth enfolds!

By God, what that garment enfolds!

By Allah! How this sheltering bed contained us!

أيا ليلة الوصل لا تنفدِي

أيا ليلة الوصل لا تنفدِي

كما ليلة الهجر لا تنفدُ

كما ليلة الهجر لا تنفدُ

O night of union, never end,

O night of union, do not end,

O night of union, do not fade away

just as the night of parting never ends.

Just as the night of separation never ends.

As the night of parting did not fade

ويا غدُ إن كنتَ لي محسناً

ويا غدُ إن كنتَ لي محسناً

فلا تدنُ من ليلتي يا غَدُ

فلا تدنُ من ليلتي يا غَدُ

And tomorrow—if you would be kind to me,

And O tomorrow, if you would be kind to me,

And morning, if you come to bless these lovers

do not draw near my night, O tomorrow.

Then do not draw near my night, O tomorrow.

Do not disturb my night, O morn, I pray