فلأَشْكُرَنَّso I shall surely give thanks لِدَيْرِto the monastery of مَتَّىMattā لَيْلَةًa night
فلأَشْكُرَنَّ لِدَيْرِ مَتَّى لَيْلَةً
مَزَّقَتْit tore apart ظُلْمَتَهاits darkness بِبَدْرٍwith a full moon مُشْرِقِradiant
مَزَّقَتْ ظُلْمَتَها بِبَدْرٍ مُشْرِقِ
So I shall surely thank the monastery of Mattā for a night
I thank the monastery of Matthew one night
That tore its darkness apart with a radiant full moon.
When its darkness was ripped by a shining full moon.
بِتْناwe spent the night نُوَفّيwe give in full اللَّهْوَrevelry فيهاin it حَقَّهُits due
بِتْنا نُوَفّي اللَّهْوَ فيها حَقَّهُ
بِالرّاحِwith wine والوَتَرِand the musical string الفَصيحِeloquent المَنْطِقِin speech
بِالرّاحِ والوَتَرِ الفَصيحِ المَنْطِقِ
We spent that night giving revelry its due,
We fulfilled our desire for amusement in it
With wine and the string, eloquent in speech.
With the flute, the lute, and eloquent chanting.
والجَوُّand the air يَسْحَبُtrails مِنْfrom عَليلِgentle هَوائِهِits breeze
والجَوُّ يَسْحَبُ مِنْ عَليلِ هَوائِهِ
ثَوْباًa robe يَرشُّit sprinkles بِطَلِّهِwith its dew المُتَرَقْرِقِshimmering
ثَوْباً يَرشُّ بِطَلِّهِ المُتَرَقْرِقِ
And the air trailed, from its gentle breeze,
The air drew from its ailing breath
A robe it sprinkled with its shimmering dew.
A robe sprinkling its humidity.
حتّىuntil رَأَيْناwe saw اللَّيْلَthe night قَوَّسَbent ظَهْرَهُits back
حتّى رَأَيْنا اللَّيْلَ قَوَّسَ ظَهْرَهُ
هَرَمٌold age وأَثَّرَand left its mark فيهِon it شَيْبُgray hair المَفْرِقِthe hair-parting
هَرَمٌ وأَثَّرَ فيهِ شَيْبُ المَفْرِقِ
Until we saw the night, its back bowed
Until we saw the night arch its back
By old age, and marked by gray at the parting of its hair.
An old man marked by the white of parting.
وكَأَنَّand as though ضَوْءَthe light of الفَجْرِdawn فيin باقيthe remainder of الدُّجىthe darkness
وكَأَنَّ ضَوْءَ الفَجْرِ في باقي الدُّجى
سَيْفٌa sword حَلاهُits ornaments منof اللُّجَيْنِsilver المُحْرَقِburnt
سَيْفٌ حَلاهُ من اللُّجَيْنِ المُحْرَقِ
And dawn's light amid the lingering darkness seemed like
As if the light of dawn in the remaining gloom
A sword with ornaments of burnt silver.
Was a sword forged of piercing sparks.
ياoh طيبَهاits sweetness منas لَيْلَةٍa night لوif only لمnot تَكُنْit had been
يا طيبَها من لَيْلَةٍ لو لم تَكُنْ
قَصُرَتْgrown short فَريعَand so was dismayed تَجَمُّعٌa gathering بِتَفَرُّقِby parting
قَصُرَتْ فَريعَ تَجَمُّعٌ بِتَفَرُّقِ
Ah, how sweet a night it was—if only it had not
Oh, blessed night, if you had not
Been so brief, leaving our gathering dismayed by parting.
Been cut short, a gathering ended in scattering.
Sol 6.1