ياO لَيْلُnight ماwhat فَعَلَdid الصباحُthe dawn
يا لَيْلُ ما فَعَلَ الصباحُ
أَفَمَاis there then no لمُبْهَمِهِfor its mystery اتِّضاحُclarity
أَفَمَا لمُبْهَمِهِ اتِّضاحُ
O night, what has become of dawn?
O night, what has the dawn done?
Can its mystery not be made clear?
Has its ambiguous one gained any clarity?
لَيْلِيmy night غُرابٌa raven واقعٌperched
لَيْلِي غُرابٌ واقعٌ
فيin الشرقthe east ليسthere is not لهfor it جَناحُa wing
في الشرق ليس له جَناحُ
My night is a raven perched
My night, a raven has fallen
in the east, without a wing.
In the east, wingless,
دَلَكَتْset بَراحِBarāḥ (the sun) فقالتthen said الthe (prefix continued on the next line)
دَلَكَتْ بَراحِ فقالت ال
أفلاكُheavenly spheres ليسthere is not لناfor us بَراحُmovement
أفلاكُ ليس لنا بَراحُ
Barāḥ set; then said the
The stars complained, saying -
heavenly spheres, “We cannot stir.”
"We have no comfort in these cycles."
مَرِضَتْgrew ill عنfrom السيْرِtraveling الدُّجىthe darkness
مَرِضَتْ عن السيْرِ الدُّجى
وَرَنَتْand gazed لهاat it الحدَقُthe pupils الصِّحاحُthe healthy ones
وَرَنَتْ لها الحدَقُ الصِّحاحُ
The darkness grew too sick to travel,
The darkness fell ill
and healthy eyes gazed upon it.
And its bright eyes cried out,
ماnot زالceased تَبْيَضُّgrow white العُقوthe necklaces (opening fragment)
ما زال تَبْيَضُّ العُقو
دُclosing fragment of 'necklaces' بهاwithin it ويسْوَدُّand grows black الوِشاحُthe sash
دُ بها ويسْوَدُّ الوِشاحُ
Still the necklaces grow white
The white full moons still shine
within it, and the sash grows black,
While the black crescent fades,
حتىuntil أقولI say عساهperhaps he will يَخْopening fragment of 'dye'
حتى أقول عساه يَخْ
ضِبclosing fragment of 'dye' شَيْبَهُhis gray hair الدهرُTime الوَقاحُthe brazen one
ضِب شَيْبَهُ الدهرُ الوَقاحُ
until I say, “Perhaps he will dye
Until I say "Maybe this shameless time
his gray hair—brazen Time.”
Will strip away its old age."
وكأنّماand as though خَلَعَتْcast off غداopening fragment of 'tresses'
وكأنّما خَلَعَتْ غدا
ئراهاclosing fragment of 'their tresses' علىover الجوِّthe sky المِلاحُthe beautiful women
ئراها على الجوِّ المِلاحُ
And it is as though they had cast their tresses
It's as if tomorrow
over the sky—the beauties.
It will shed its shrouds into the salty air.
Sol 6.1