يَاO لَيلَةَnight of الأُنسِdelight بِالحَمَّامِat al-Hammam (the baths) لاmay not بَرِحَتْcease
يَا لَيلَةَ الأُنسِ بِالحَمَّامِ لا بَرِحَتْ
سَاعَاتُhours of حُسنِكِyour beauty فيin طِيبٍpleasure وفيand in طَرَبِrapture
سَاعَاتُ حُسنِكِ في طِيبٍ وفي طَرَبِ
O night of delight at al-Hammam, may there never cease
O night of intimacy with the dove, your hours of beauty did not cease
your hours of beauty in pleasure and rapture.
In goodness and in rapture we spent it, and the stars like flowers gazed at us
بِتنَاwe spent the night بهاin it وَالنُّجُومُand the stars الزُّهرُbright تَلحَظُنَاwatch us
بِتنَا بها وَالنُّجُومُ الزُّهرُ تَلحَظُنَا
وَالبَدرُand the full moon منfrom بَينِهَاamong them يَنحَطُّsinks فيinto حَبَبِbubbles
وَالبَدرُ من بَينِهَا يَنحَطُّ في حَبَبِ
We spent the night there while the bright stars watched us,
The moon descended amongst them beaming as if in love
and the full moon sank from among them into the froth,
In a gathering, all ears, when the flowers of meaning bloom and call out from the dunes
فيin مَحفَلٍa gathering كُلُّهُمْall of them سَمْعٌall ears إذاwhenever طَلَعَتْrose
في مَحفَلٍ كُلُّهُمْ سَمْعٌ إذا طَلَعَتْ
زُهرُradiant ones المَعَانِيthe meanings وَقَدand already نَادَتْهُcalled to him منfrom كَثَبِclose by
زُهرُ المَعَانِي وَقَد نَادَتْهُ من كَثَبِ
in a gathering where everyone was all ears whenever there rose
Their reciter turns the rare verses, astounding them, not with grapes' daughter
the radiant meanings, which had called to him from close by.
The rebab has passion and rightfully so, the oud murmurs like one of dignity's wrath
يُديِرُpasses round مِنof نَادِرِrare الأشعَارِpoetry مُنشِدُهُمtheir reciter
يُديِرُ مِن نَادِرِ الأشعَارِ مُنشِدُهُم
فَيَعجَبُونَso they marvel بِهَاat it لاnot بِابنَةِat the daughter of العِنَبِthe grape
فَيَعجَبُونَ بِهَا لا بِابنَةِ العِنَبِ
Their reciter passes round rare poetry,
The tambourine like a bird in its bells resentful, the flute says "I'm the distinguished by moustache"
so they marvel at it, not at the daughter of the grape.
Nothing was swifter than the glow that shone in it, and the night hurried away in flight
وَلِلرَّبَابِand the rebab has زهوٌpride وحُقَّand it is due لَهُto it
وَلِلرَّبَابِ زهوٌ وحُقَّ لَهُ
والعُودُand the oud هَمهَمَhummed كَالغَضبَانِlike an angry man ذيpossessed of الأدَبِgood manners
والعُودُ هَمهَمَ كَالغَضبَانِ ذي الأدَبِ
And the rebab has its pride, and rightly so;
My oud, though once, I wait, hopes may come in wonder
and the oud hummed like a well-mannered man in anger.
With that gathering, I wish no substitute, my only wish to see among them a love mark
والطَّارُand the tambourine كَالطَّيْرِlike a bird فيin أجرَاسِهِits ringing tones حَنقٌfury
والطَّارُ كَالطَّيْرِ في أجرَاسِهِ حَنقٌ
والنَّايُand the ney قالَsaid أنَاI المَخصُوصُthe one singled out بِالشَّنَبِwith the mouth's cool sweetness
والنَّايُ قالَ أنَا المَخصُوصُ بِالشَّنَبِ
And the tambourine, like a bird, has fury in its ringing;
and the ney said, 'I alone am graced with the mouth's cool sweetness.'
مَاhow كَانَwas أسرَعَswift ماthat لاَحَappeared الضّيَاءُthe light بِهَاin it
مَا كَانَ أسرَعَ ما لاَحَ الضّيَاءُ بِهَا
واللَّيلُand the night منfrom سَيفِهِits sword قدalready جَدَّstrove earnestly فيin الهَرَبِflight
واللَّيلُ من سَيفِهِ قد جَدَّ في الهَرَبِ
How swiftly the light appeared there!
And night had fled in earnest from its sword.
عُوديreturn ولَوand even if مَرَّةًonce إنِّيindeed I لَمُنتَظِرٌsurely waiting
عُودي ولَو مَرَّةً إنِّي لَمُنتَظِرٌ
فَرُبَّمَاfor perhaps جَاءَتِcame الآَمالُhopes بِالعَجَبِwith wonders
فَرُبَّمَا جَاءَتِ الآَمالُ بِالعَجَبِ
Return, if only once: I am indeed waiting,
for hopes may yet bring wonders.
بِذلِكَwith that الجَمعِcompany لاnot أبغِيI seek بِهِin its place بَدلاًa substitute
بِذلِكَ الجَمعِ لا أبغِي بِهِ بَدلاً
وَبُغيتيand my wish أنthat يرىbe seen فيin وَسطِهِits midst شَلَبِShalab
وَبُغيتي أن يرى في وَسطِهِ شَلَبِ
With that company, I seek no substitute for it;
and my wish is that Shalab be seen in its midst.
Partial English translation: 10 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1