وَذَكَّرَنيهِ البَدرُ وَاللَيلُ دونَهُ

وَذَكَّرَنيهِ البَدرُ وَاللَيلُ دونَهُ

فَباتَ بِحَدِّ الشَوقِ وَالصَبرِ يَلعَبُ

فَباتَ بِحَدِّ الشَوقِ وَالصَبرِ يَلعَبُ

And the full moon reminded me of him, with night between us;

The moon and the night reminded me of him

so it spent the night toying with the limits of longing and patience—

So I spent the night oscillating between longing and patience

كَذِكرى الحِمى وَالحَيِّ في مَنعَجِ اللَوى

كَذِكرى الحِمى وَالحَيِّ في مَنعَجِ اللَوى

وَذِكرُ الصِبا وَالرَأسُ أَخلَسُ أَشيَبُ

وَذِكرُ الصِبا وَالرَأسُ أَخلَسُ أَشيَبُ

like memories of the protected pastures and the tribe at Manʿaj al-Lawā,

Like memories of fever and the beloved in the twisting sands

and memories of youth, though the head is grizzled and gray.

And memories of youth while my hair grows increasingly grey

فَأَزدادُ في جُنحِ الظَلامِ صَبابَةً

فَأَزدادُ في جُنحِ الظَلامِ صَبابَةً

فَلا صَعبَ إِلّا وَهوَ بِاللَيلِ أَصعَبُ

فَلا صَعبَ إِلّا وَهوَ بِاللَيلِ أَصعَبُ

So I grow more lovesick beneath the wing of darkness;

So in the darkness of night I grow ever more sleepless

for nothing is hard without being harder at night.

For nothing is hard, except what the night makes harder