أَلَيلَتَنا بِالحَزْنِ عودي فَإِنَّني

أَلَيلَتَنا بِالحَزْنِ عودي فَإِنَّني

أُطامِنُ أَحشائي عَلى لَوعَةِ الحُزْنِ

أُطامِنُ أَحشائي عَلى لَوعَةِ الحُزْنِ

O our night at al-Hazn, return, for I

My night has returned in sorrow, so return,

bow my heart over the burning anguish of grief,

For I seek solace for my grieving heart,

وَأُذري بِهِ دَمعاً يُرَوّي غليلَهُ

وَأُذري بِهِ دَمعاً يُرَوّي غليلَهُ

فَلَم يَتَحَمَّل بَعدَهُ مِنَّةَ المُزْنِ

فَلَم يَتَحَمَّل بَعدَهُ مِنَّةَ المُزْنِ

and shed there tears that slake its burning thirst,

And shed tears to quench its burning thirst,

so afterward it incurred no debt to the rainclouds.

It can no longer bear the pain of sadness.

وَأُقسِمُ بالبَيتِ الرَّحيبِ فِناؤُهُ

وَأُقسِمُ بالبَيتِ الرَّحيبِ فِناؤُهُ

وَبالحَجَرِ المَلثومِ وَالحَجَرِ الرُكْنِ

وَبالحَجَرِ المَلثومِ وَالحَجَرِ الرُكْنِ

And I swear by the House, whose courtyard is spacious,

I swear by the spacious house, its courtyard,

and by the kissed stone and the cornerstone:

By the Black Stone and the cornerstone,

لأَنتِ إِلى نَفسي أَحَبُّ مِنَ الغِنَى

لأَنتِ إِلى نَفسي أَحَبُّ مِنَ الغِنَى

وَذِكرُكِ أَحلى في فُؤادي مِنَ الأَمْنِ

وَذِكرُكِ أَحلى في فُؤادي مِنَ الأَمْنِ

you are indeed dearer to my soul than wealth,

You are dearer to me than wealth itself,

and remembering you is sweeter in my heart than safety.

And your memory sweeter to my heart than safety.

فَكَم غادَةٍ جَلَّى ظَلامَكِ وَجهُها

فَكَم غادَةٍ جَلَّى ظَلامَكِ وَجهُها

وَبَدرُ الدُّجَى مِن حاسديها عَلى الحُسْنِ

وَبَدرُ الدُّجَى مِن حاسديها عَلى الحُسْنِ

For many a graceful maiden's face has dispelled your darkness,

How many bright moons has her face outshone,

and night's full moon is among those who envy her beauty.

While the moon of dusk envied her beauty.

خَلَوتُ بِها وَحدي وَثالِثُنا التُّقَى

خَلَوتُ بِها وَحدي وَثالِثُنا التُّقَى

وَرابِعُنا ماضي الغِرارَين في الجَفنِ

وَرابِعُنا ماضي الغِرارَين في الجَفنِ

I was alone with her, with piety as our third,

Alone we were, with piety our chaperone,

and our fourth a sword, keen on both edges, in its sheath.

And roving glances our fourth companion.

يَذودُ الكَرى عَنّا حَديثٌ كَعِقدِها

يَذودُ الكَرى عَنّا حَديثٌ كَعِقدِها

فَلَمّا اِفتَرَقنا صارَ كالقُرطِ للإُذْنِ

فَلَمّا اِفتَرَقنا صارَ كالقُرطِ للإُذْنِ

Conversation like her necklace kept slumber away from us;

Our intimate talk kept harm away,

and when we parted, it became like an earring for the ear.

When we parted, it was like losing an earring.

وآخِرُ عَهدي بِالمَليحَةِ أَنَّني

وآخِرُ عَهدي بِالمَليحَةِ أَنَّني

رَمَقتُ بِذاتِ الرِّمثِ نارَ بَني حِصنِ

رَمَقتُ بِذاتِ الرِّمثِ نارَ بَني حِصنِ

And my last encounter with the lovely woman was when I

My last glimpse of the beautiful one was

glimpsed, at Dhat al-Rimth, the fire of Banu Hisn.

When I spied the glow of Bani Hisn’s fire.

فَحَيَّيْتُ أَهلَ الضَّوءِ وَهيَ تَشُبُّها

فَحَيَّيْتُ أَهلَ الضَّوءِ وَهيَ تَشُبُّها

عَلى قِصَدِ الخَطِّيِّ بالمَندَلِ اللَّدنِ

عَلى قِصَدِ الخَطِّيِّ بالمَندَلِ اللَّدنِ

So I greeted the people of the firelight, while she stoked it

I greeted the people of light while she resembled

on fragments of Khatti spears, with supple aloeswood.

The straight-walking she-camel in her long shift.

فَقالوا مَنِ السَّاري وَقَد بَلَّهُ النَّدَى

فَقالوا مَنِ السَّاري وَقَد بَلَّهُ النَّدَى

فَقُلتُ ابنُ أَرضٍ ضَلَّ في لَيلَةِ الدَّجنِ

فَقُلتُ ابنُ أَرضٍ ضَلَّ في لَيلَةِ الدَّجنِ

So they said, “Who is the night traveler, whom the dew has drenched?”

“Who is this traveler whom the dew has soaked?” they asked.

So I said, “A son of earth, lost on a night of clouded gloom;

I said, “A man who lost his way on a dark night.

لَهُ حاجَةٌ بالغَورِ وَالدَّارُ بِالحِمى

لَهُ حاجَةٌ بالغَورِ وَالدَّارُ بِالحِمى

وَنَجدٌ هَواهُ وَهيَ تَعرِفُ ما أَعني

وَنَجدٌ هَواهُ وَهيَ تَعرِفُ ما أَعني

he has an errand in al-Ghawr, and his home is in al-Hima,

He has business in the valley while his home’s protected,

and Najd is his heart's desire”—and she knows what I mean.

Najd is his passion while she knows what I mean.”