فيin لَيلِa night وَصلٍunion كَلَيلِlike a night الهَجرِestrangement لَمdid not يُنِرِshine
في لَيلِ وَصلٍ كَلَيلِ الهَجرِ لَم يُنِرِ
وَلاnor صَفاwas clear بَلrather وَمَلآنٌand full مِنَof الكَدَرِvexation
وَلا صَفا بَل وَمَلآنٌ مِنَ الكَدَرِ
In a night of union, like a night of estrangement, no light shone,
In a night of union like the night of separation, no light shone
Nor was it clear; rather, it was full of vexation:
Nor clarity, but filled with gloominess
مِنَfrom الرَقيبِthe watcher مِنَfrom الغَيرانِthe jealous one مِنfrom حَدَقٍeyes
مِنَ الرَقيبِ مِنَ الغَيرانِ مِن حَدَقٍ
مِنَof النُجومِthe stars وَلاand not أَنسَىI forget مِنَfrom القِصَرِbrevity
مِنَ النُجومِ وَلا أَنسَى مِنَ القِصَرِ
From the watcher, from the jealous one, from the eyes
From the watcher, from the changing fortunes, from the eyelids
Of the stars—and I do not forget its brevity.
From the stars, and I cannot forget the palace
تَقَدَّمَoutstripped الوَقتَtime فيهِin it الوَقتُtime مِنof عَتَمٍdeep darkness
تَقَدَّمَ الوَقتَ فيهِ الوَقتُ مِن عَتَمٍ
بِلاwithout عِشاءٍevening وَمِنand of صُبحٍdawn بِلاwithout سَحَرِpredawn hours
بِلا عِشاءٍ وَمِن صُبحٍ بِلا سَحَرِ
Within it, time outran time: deep darkness
Time advanced in it, time without dinner
Without evening, and dawn without predawn hours.
Without supper and without dawn’s first light
كَخافِقِlike the shimmer of الآلِthe mirage لَمdid not تَبُرُدcool بِهِby it غُلَليmy burning thirst
كَخافِقِ الآلِ لَم تَبُرُد بِهِ غُلَلي
وَخاطِفِand the flash of البَرقِlightning لَمwas not يُمتَعgratified بِهِby it بَصَريmy sight
وَخاطِفِ البَرقِ لَم يُمتَع بِهِ بَصَري
Like a shimmering mirage that did not cool my burning thirst,
Like the fluttering flags, my shackles were not cooled by it
And a lightning flash that gave my sight no delight.
And the flashing lightning did not delight my sight
وَأَنتَand you ياO ذَيلَtail لَيلِnight الوَصلِunion تَخطُبُyou speak ليto me
وَأَنتَ يا ذَيلَ لَيلِ الوَصلِ تَخطُبُ لي
مِنَfrom العَشاءِthe evening meal وَلَيلُand the night الهَجرِestrangement فيin حَصَرِspeechlessness
مِنَ العَشاءِ وَلَيلُ الهَجرِ في حَصَرِ
And you, O tail of the night of union, address me
And you, O end of the night of union, procure for me
From suppertime onward, while the night of estrangement is tongue-tied.
Supper while the night of separation is confined
لَيتَwould that الدَياجيthe dark nights عَلىover الآفاقِthe horizons مُقفَلَةٌlocked
لَيتَ الدَياجي عَلى الآفاقِ مُقفَلَةٌ
فَلاso not تُفَضُّbe unsealed عَنِfrom over الأَسحارِthe predawn hours وَالبُكَرِand the early mornings
فَلا تُفَضُّ عَنِ الأَسحارِ وَالبُكَرِ
Would that the dark nights were locked over the horizons,
If only the clouds over the horizons were locked
So they would not be unsealed to reveal predawn hours and early mornings.
So they would not open for the last hours of night and dawn
وَلَيتَand would that أَغرِبَةًravens لِلبَينِof parting ماnot وَقَعَتalighted
وَلَيتَ أَغرِبَةً لِلبَينِ ما وَقَعَت
وَلَيتَand would that أَغرِبَةًravens لِلَّيلِto the night لَمdid not تَصِرِbecome
وَلَيتَ أَغرِبَةً لِلَّيلِ لَم تَصِرِ
And would that the ravens of parting had not alighted,
And if only I were a stranger to separation when it occurred
And would that ravens had not come to belong to the night,
And if only I were a stranger to the night, unaware
وَصَدَّand repelled صَقرُthe falcon الدُجىdarkness بازِيَّthe hawk صُبحَتِهاtheir morning
وَصَدَّ صَقرُ الدُجى بازِيَّ صُبحَتِها
يَنقَضُّswooping خَلفَafter بُغاثِfeeble birds الأَنجُمِthe stars الزُهُرِshining
يَنقَضُّ خَلفَ بُغاثِ الأَنجُمِ الزُهُرِ
And that the falcon of darkness had repelled the hawk of their morning,
The falcon of darkness hunted at the morning’s first glow
Swooping after the feeble birds—the shining stars.
Pouncing behind the scattered stars’ radiant flowers
Sol 6.1