اللَيْلُthe night ياO صاحِبَيَّmy two companions مُنْطَلِقُdeparting
اللَيْلُ يا صاحِبَيَّ مُنْطَلِقُ
يُقادُis led زَحْفاًat a crawl وماand there is no بِهِin it رَمَقُbreath of life
يُقادُ زَحْفاً وما بِهِ رَمَقُ
Night, my two companions, is departing,
The night, my companion, sets out
led away at a crawl, with no breath of life left.
Marching without vigor or resolve
غَمِضclosed its eye دونَbefore الغُروبِsetting كَوْكَبُهُits star
غَمِض دونَ الغُروبِ كَوْكَبُهُ
إِذْsince شَفَّهُwore it down طُولَthroughout لَيْلِهِits night الأَرَقُsleeplessness
إِذْ شَفَّهُ طُولَ لَيْلِهِ الأَرَقُ
Its star closed its eye before setting,
Its star winked shut
for sleeplessness had worn it down throughout its night.
As the long night robbed it of sleep
ورَقَّand grew thin جدّاًvery رِدَاءُthe robe of ظُلْمَتِهِits darkness
ورَقَّ جدّاً رِدَاءُ ظُلْمَتِهِ
فَهوso it is علىon مَنْكِبِthe shoulder of الرُّبىthe hills خَلَقُthreadbare
فَهو على مَنْكِبِ الرُّبى خَلَقُ
And the robe of its darkness grew very thin,
Darkness drew its cloak tightly
so it lies threadbare on the shoulders of the hills.
Bearing the burden of night on its shoulders
تَأَمَّلاcontemplate, you two الغَرْبَthe west كَيْفَhow ذَهَّبَهُgilded it
تَأَمَّلا الغَرْبَ كَيْفَ ذَهَّبَهُ
شَرْقٌan east بِتَوْريدِwith the rosy flush of فَجْرِهِits dawn شَرِقُradiant
شَرْقٌ بِتَوْريدِ فَجْرِهِ شَرِقُ
Gaze, you two, at the west—how it is gilded
Look how the west has taken it away
by an east radiant with its dawn's rosy flush.
As the dawn teased with its rising sun
واصْطبِحَاهاand drink it at dawn, you two عَلىbeside مُفَوَّفةٍmany-colored
واصْطبِحَاها عَلى مُفَوَّفةٍ
باتَspent the night لَهاfor it بِالقُطَارِwith raindrops مُغْتَبَقُan evening draught
باتَ لَها بِالقُطَارِ مُغْتَبَقُ
And drink it at dawn beside a many-colored expanse,
And surprised it with a greeting
whose evening draught was rain the whole night through:
After keeping it company with the stars all night
رَوْضٌa garden غَريقdrowned ومزْنَةand a raincloud ضَحِكَتْsmiled
رَوْضٌ غَريق ومزْنَة ضَحِكَتْ
عَنْrevealing أُفُقٍa horizon بِالبُروقِwith lightning يَحْتَرِقُburning
عَنْ أُفُقٍ بِالبُروقِ يَحْتَرِقُ
a drowned garden, and a raincloud that smiled,
A meadow laughed fully saturated
revealing a horizon ablaze with lightning.
At a horizon flaming with lightning
ولَيْسَand there is nothing لِلْقَرِّagainst the cold غَيْرَother than صافِيَةٍclear wine
ولَيْسَ لِلْقَرِّ غَيْرَ صافِيَةٍ
تَدْفَعُwards off ماwhat لَيْسَdoes not يَدْفَعُward off الدَّلَقُmarten fur
تَدْفَعُ ما لَيْسَ يَدْفَعُ الدَّلَقُ
And against the cold there is nothing but clear wine,
The bottle has nothing left but purity
which wards off what marten fur cannot:
To dispel what the manufacturer cannot
دُرْياقُan antidote to أَفْعىthe viper of الشِّتاءِwinter وهوand it is إِذاwhen
دُرْياقُ أَفْعى الشِّتاءِ وهو إِذا
سَلَّunsheathes عَلَيْناagainst us سُيوفَهُits swords دَرِقُshields
سَلَّ عَلَيْنا سُيوفَهُ دَرِقُ
antidote to winter's viper, and—when
A coat of mail against the serpent of winter
it draws its swords against us—shields.
When it unsheathes its swords upon us
وعَصْفَرَتْand turned safflower-yellow راحَةُthe palm of المُديرِthe cupbearer كَماjust as
وعَصْفَرَتْ راحَةُ المُديرِ كَما
عَصْفَرَdyed safflower-yellow جَيْبَthe bosom of الدُّجُنَّةِthe darkness الشَّفَقُthe afterglow
عَصْفَرَ جَيْبَ الدُّجُنَّةِ الشَّفَقُ
And the cupbearer's palm turned safflower-yellow, as
And the palm of the caretaker yellowed
the afterglow dyed the bosom of darkness.
Like the pocket of the young maiden at dusk
جازَتْit surpassed مَدىthe reach of الفِكْرِthought فيin الصَّفاءِclarity فَلَوso if
جازَتْ مَدى الفِكْرِ في الصَّفاءِ فَلَو
مازَجَهاmingled with it الوَهْمُimagination مَسَّهاwould touch it رَنَقُcloudiness
مازَجَها الوَهْمُ مَسَّها رَنَقُ
It surpassed thought's reach in clarity; so if
Thought exceeded the horizons of clarity so if
imagination mingled with it, cloudiness would touch it.
Illusion did not mix with it, it would have choked
Sol 6.1