باتَspent the night المُعَنّىthe tormented one وَالدُجىand the darkness يَبتَليputs to the test
باتَ المُعَنّى وَالدُجى يَبتَلي
وَالبَرحُand anguish لاnot وانٍslackening وَماand not مُنجَليlifting
وَالبَرحُ لا وانٍ وَما مُنجَلي
The tormented lover spends the night while darkness puts him to the test,
The tormented one spent the night as darkness tested him,
and anguish neither slackens nor clears away.
And anguish neither slackened nor lifted.
وَالشُهبُand the bright stars فيin كُلِّevery سَبيلٍpath لَهُfor him
وَالشُهبُ في كُلِّ سَبيلٍ لَهُ
بِمَوقِفِin the stance of اللُوّامِthe blamers وَالعُذَّلِand the reproachers
بِمَوقِفِ اللُوّامِ وَالعُذَّلِ
The bright stars, on every path he takes,
And the bright stars, on every path before him,
assume the stance of censors and reproachers.
Stood like blamers and reproachers.
إِذاwhen رَعاهاhe watched them ساهِياًabsent-minded ساهِراًsleepless
إِذا رَعاها ساهِياً ساهِراً
رَعَينَهُthey watched him بِالحَدَقِwith the eyes الغُفَّلِheedless
رَعَينَهُ بِالحَدَقِ الغُفَّلِ
Whenever he gazes at them, distracted and wakeful,
When he watched them, distracted and sleepless,
they watch him with unblinking eyes.
They watched him with heedless eyes.
ياO لَيلُnight قَدindeed جُرتَyou acted unjustly وَلَمand did not تَعدِلِact justly
يا لَيلُ قَد جُرتَ وَلَم تَعدِلِ
ماnot أَنتَyou ياO أَسوَدُblack one إِلّاexcept خَليfree of care
ما أَنتَ يا أَسوَدُ إِلّا خَلي
O night, you have been unjust and have not dealt fairly.
O night, you have been unjust and have not been fair.
What are you, O black one, but carefree?
You, O black one, are nothing but carefree.
تَاللَهِby God لَوif حُكِّمَتyou were given authority فيover الصُبحِthe dawn أَنto
تَاللَهِ لَو حُكِّمَت في الصُبحِ أَن
تَفعَلَact أَحجَمتَyou would recoil فَلَمso would not تَفعَلِact
تَفعَلَ أَحجَمتَ فَلَم تَفعَلِ
By God, had you been given power over dawn to act,
By God, were you given authority over dawn to
you would have shrunk back and never acted.
Act, you would recoil and do nothing.
أَوor شِمتَyou sighted سَيفاًa sword فيin جُيوشِthe armies of الضُحىmorning light
أَو شِمتَ سَيفاً في جُيوشِ الضُحى
ماnot كُنتَyou would be لِلأَعداءِto the enemies ماwhat أَنتَyou ليto me
ما كُنتَ لِلأَعداءِ ما أَنتَ لي
Or had you drawn a sword against the hosts of morning,
Or glimpsed a sword amid the armies of morning light,
you would not be to your enemies what you are to me.
You would not be to foes what you are to me.
أَبيتُI spend the night أُسقىI am given drink وَيُديرُand passes around الجَوىlove's anguish
أَبيتُ أُسقى وَيُديرُ الجَوى
وَالكَأسُand the cup لاnot تَفنىempty وَلاand not تَمتَليfill
وَالكَأسُ لا تَفنى وَلا تَمتَلي
I spend the night being plied with drink, while heartache passes it round;
All night I am plied with drink, while heartache passes the cup,
the cup neither runs dry nor ever fills.
And the cup neither empties nor fills.
الخَدُّthe cheek مِنfrom دَمعيmy tears وَمِنand from فَيضِهِtheir overflow
الخَدُّ مِن دَمعي وَمِن فَيضِهِ
يَشرَبُdrinks مِنfrom عَينٍan eye or spring وَمِنand from جَدوَلِa stream
يَشرَبُ مِن عَينٍ وَمِن جَدوَلِ
My cheek, from my tears and from their flood,
The cheek, from my tears and their overflow,
drinks from my eye and from my streaming rivulet.
Drinks from an eye and from a stream.
وَالشَوقُand longing نارٌa fire فيin رَمادِthe ashes of الأَسىsorrow
وَالشَوقُ نارٌ في رَمادِ الأَسى
وَالفِكرُand thought يُذكيstokes وَالحَشاand the breast يَصطَليburns in the heat
وَالفِكرُ يُذكي وَالحَشا يَصطَلي
Longing is a fire amid the ashes of sorrow;
And longing is a fire in sorrow's ashes,
thought fans it, and my innermost heart is seared.
And thought stokes it, while the breast burns in its heat.
وَالقَلبُand the heart قَوّامٌceaselessly active عَلىagainst أَضلُعيmy ribs
وَالقَلبُ قَوّامٌ عَلى أَضلُعي
كَأَنَّهُas though it were الناقوسُthe bell فيin الهَيكَلِthe sanctuary
كَأَنَّهُ الناقوسُ في الهَيكَلِ
My heart pounds ceaselessly against my ribs,
And the heart keeps pounding against my ribs,
as though it were the bell within a church.
As though it were the bell in the sanctuary.
Sol 6.1