ياO ليلةًnight طالتْgrew long كأنَّas though نجومَهاits stars
يا ليلةً طالتْ كأنَّ نجومَها
غُرَماءُdebtors أرقبَهُمI watch them لِدَيْنٍfor a debt واجبِdue
غُرَماءُ أرقبَهُم لِدَيْنٍ واجبِ
O night grown long, as though its stars
O night that dragged on as if its stars
Were debtors I watch for a debt due.
were sleepless lovers bound by duty,
والبَدْرُand the full moon كالشَّيْخِlike the sheikh الأجَلِّmost venerable تَمَنْطَقَتْgirded herself
والبَدْرُ كالشَّيْخِ الأجَلِّ تَمَنْطَقَتْ
قُدَّامَهُbefore him الجَوْزاءُOrion مثلَlike الحاجِبِthe chamberlain
قُدَّامَهُ الجَوْزاءُ مثلَ الحاجِبِ
And the full moon is like an august sheikh; girded,
The moon like an aged man declaiming
Before him stands Orion, like a chamberlain.
as the Pleiades gesticulated before him.
Sol 6.1