وَلَيلَةٍand a night قَدindeed دَنَتdrew near مِنّيto me غَياهِبُهاits deep darkness
وَلَيلَةٍ قَد دَنَت مِنّي غَياهِبُها
بِقَدرِin proportion to ماhow much بَعُدَتgrew distant عَنّيfrom me كَواكِبُهاits stars
بِقَدرِ ما بَعُدَت عَنّي كَواكِبُها
And a night whose dark depths drew close to me,
And a night whose deep darkness drew close to me,
to the same measure that its stars receded from me.
in proportion as its stars grew distant from me.
فَلاso neither نُجومُstars اللَياليthe nights بِتُّI spent the night أَحسُبُهاI count them
فَلا نُجومُ اللَيالي بِتُّ أَحسُبُها
وَلاnor اللَياليthe nights عَلىfor هَمّيmy sorrow أُحاسِبُهاI call them to account
وَلا اللَيالي عَلى هَمّي أُحاسِبُها
Thus I did not spend the night counting the nights’ stars,
So I did not spend the night counting the nights' stars,
nor do I call the nights to account for my cares.
nor do I call the nights to account for my sorrow.
ياO دَهرُTime لاdo not تَحسَبَنever think أَنَّthat النُجومَthe stars عَلىat
يا دَهرُ لا تَحسَبَن أَنَّ النُجومَ عَلى
بُعدٍa distance عَلىfor هِمَّتيmy ambition إِنّيindeed, I أُطالِبُهاI seek them
بُعدٍ عَلى هِمَّتي إِنّي أُطالِبُها
O Time, never suppose that the stars stand at
O Time, never think that the stars lie
a distance beyond my aspiration—I strive to attain them.
beyond my ambition's reach: I seek them.
يُشَبِّهونَthey liken اللَياليthe nights بِالبِحارِto the seas لَناfor us
يُشَبِّهونَ اللَيالي بِالبِحارِ لَنا
وَفيand in عَجائِبِهاtheir wonders عِنديto me عَجائِبُهاtheir wonders
وَفي عَجائِبِها عِندي عَجائِبُها
They liken the nights to seas for us,
They liken the nights to seas for us,
but to my mind, the seas’ wonders lie within the nights’.
and, to me, the nights' wonders lie among the wonders of the seas.
Sol 6.1