ويا ليلة أفنيتُ فاحم نَفْسها

ويا ليلة أفنيتُ فاحم نَفْسها

بفكريَ في مُهْراق بيض المنى كتبا

بفكريَ في مُهْراق بيض المنى كتبا

And O night, whose coal-black soul I used up

Oh night I have wasted, inhaling its scent

writing with my thought on the parchment of white hopes.

With my thoughts of the white hills of al-Mana in scripture

عبرت بها بحر الهموم فلم أجد

عبرت بها بحر الهموم فلم أجد

به لارتقاب الفجر شرقاً ولا غرباً

به لارتقاب الفجر شرقاً ولا غرباً

In it I crossed the sea of cares, but found

I crossed with it the sea of worries, but did not find

in it neither east nor west from which to watch for dawn.

In it, in awaiting the dawn, an east or west

فهبْ حَلَّقتْ بالفجر عنقاء مغرب

فهبْ حَلَّقتْ بالفجر عنقاء مغرب

فأين استقلا حين ناما فما هبا

فأين استقلا حين ناما فما هبا

So suppose ʿAnqāʾ Mughrib soared off with dawn—

So it flew away at dawn, a western gazelle

then where did the two depart, when they slept and did not wake?

Where did they alight when they slept, that they did not bestow

يُخَيِّلُ لي أَن النجومَ شَواخصٌ

يُخَيِّلُ لي أَن النجومَ شَواخصٌ

حيارى على إِثريهما ترقب الدربا

حيارى على إِثريهما ترقب الدربا

It seems to me that the stars are staring fixedly,

It seems to me the stars are signposts

bewildered, watching the road in the wake of them both.

Bewildered, in their tracks, awaiting the path

أَتبغي انتظار القارظِيّيْن منهما

أَتبغي انتظار القارظِيّيْن منهما

نجوم الدجى من بعد ما قضيا نحبا

نجوم الدجى من بعد ما قضيا نحبا

Do they wish to await those two as one awaits the two Qāriẓīs—

Do I expect the two to wait for the Qarzi stars?

the stars of darkness—after both have met their deaths?

The stars of nightfall, after they had fulfilled their vow