وَلَيلَةٍand a night كَأَنَّهاas though it were يَومٌa day أَغَرّradiant
وَلَيلَةٍ كَأَنَّها يَومٌ أَغَرّ
ظَلامُهاits darkness أَشرَقُbrighter مِنthan ضَوءِthe light of القَمَرthe moon
ظَلامُها أَشرَقُ مِن ضَوءِ القَمَر
And a night as though it were a radiant day!
Its darkness was brighter than the moon's light.
كَأَنَّهاas though it were فيin مُقلَةِthe eye of الدَهرِTime حَوَرblack-and-white beauty of the eye
كَأَنَّها في مُقلَةِ الدَهرِ حَوَر
ماnot قَصَّرَتit fell short لَوif سَلِمَتit had been spared مِنَfrom القِصَرbrevity
ما قَصَّرَت لَو سَلِمَت مِنَ القِصَر
As though it were the beauty of black and white in Time's eye.
It would not have fallen short, had it been spared brevity.
حينَwhen أَتَتit came مَرَّتit passed كَلَمحٍlike a flash بِالبَصَرbefore the eye
حينَ أَتَت مَرَّت كَلَمحٍ بِالبَصَر
لَيسَthere is not لَهاof it بَينَbetween النَهارَينِthe two days أَثَرa trace
لَيسَ لَها بَينَ النَهارَينِ أَثَر
When it came, it passed like a flash before the eye.
There was no trace of it between the two days.
تَطابَقَcoincided العِشاءُthe evening مِنهاof it وَالسَحَرand the predawn hour
تَطابَقَ العِشاءُ مِنها وَالسَحَر
أَلَذُّsweeter مِنthan طيبِthe pleasure of الكَرىslumber فيهاin it السَهَرwakefulness
أَلَذُّ مِن طيبِ الكَرى فيها السَهَر
Its evening and predawn hour coincided.
Staying awake that night was sweeter than the pleasure of slumber.
قَطَعتُهاI spent it فَلاso do not تَسَلask عَنِabout الخَبَرwhat happened
قَطَعتُها فَلا تَسَل عَنِ الخَبَر
بِصاحِبٍwith a companion حُلوِsweet الحَديثِspeech وَالسَمَرand nighttime conversation
بِصاحِبٍ حُلوِ الحَديثِ وَالسَمَر
I spent it—so do not ask what happened—
With a companion sweet in speech and nighttime conversation.
تَحضُرُis present كُلُّevery راحَةٍcomfort إِذاwhen حَضَرhe is present
تَحضُرُ كُلُّ راحَةٍ إِذا حَضَر
فيin الجِدِّearnestness وَالهَزلِand jest جَميعاًalike قَدindeed مَهَرhe excelled
في الجِدِّ وَالهَزلِ جَميعاً قَد مَهَر
Every comfort arrives when he arrives.
In earnestness and jest alike he has excelled.
نِعمَexcellent is الرَفيقُthe companion فيin المُقامِresidence وَالسَفَرand travel
نِعمَ الرَفيقُ في المُقامِ وَالسَفَر
وَشادِنٍand a young gazelle فيهِin him مِنَfrom التيهِpride خَفَرbashfulness
وَشادِنٍ فيهِ مِنَ التيهِ خَفَر
What a fine companion, in residence and in travel!
And a young gazelle, with a bashfulness born of pride,
حُلوِlovely الثَناياthe front teeth وَالتَثَنّيand graceful swaying إِنif خَطَرhe walks with a sway
حُلوِ الثَنايا وَالتَثَنّي إِن خَطَر
مِنamong أَطرَبِthe most enchanting of الناسِpeople غِناءًin singing وَوَتَرand strings
مِن أَطرَبِ الناسِ غِناءً وَوَتَر
Lovely in his front teeth and his swaying gait when he walks,
Among the most enchanting of people in song and string-playing.
وَفيهِand in him أَشِياءٌthings وَأَشياءٌand things أُخَرother
وَفيهِ أَشِياءٌ وَأَشياءٌ أُخَر
وَقَهوَةٍand wine تَسُدُّshuts أَبوابَthe doors of الفِكَرthoughts
وَقَهوَةٍ تَسُدُّ أَبوابَ الفِكَر
And in him are things—and other things besides.
And wine that shuts the doors of thought,
أَشرَفَthe noblest شَيءٍthing عُنصُراًin substance وَمُعتَصَرand in pressed juice
أَشرَفَ شَيءٍ عُنصُراً وَمُعتَصَر
تَضعُفُfall short عَنof إِدراكِهاperceiving it قُوىthe powers of البَشَرhumankind
تَضعُفُ عَن إِدراكِها قُوى البَشَر
The noblest of things in substance and in its pressed juice.
Human faculties are too weak to perceive it.
رَقَّتit grew fine فَماso not يُثبِتُهاdiscerns it حُسنُkeenness of النَظَرsight
رَقَّت فَما يُثبِتُها حُسنُ النَظَر
فَلَمand did not تَزَلcease حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen الفَجرُdawn اِنفَجَرburst forth
فَلَم تَزَل حَتّى إِذا الفَجرُ اِنفَجَر
It grew so fine that keen sight could not discern it.
And so it continued, until dawn burst forth,
وَغَرِقَتand drowned مِنهُfrom it النُجومُthe stars فيin نَهَرa river
وَغَرِقَت مِنهُ النُجومُ في نَهَر
وَأَيقَظَand awakened النائِمَthe sleeper أَنفاسُthe breaths of السَحَرthe predawn hour
وَأَيقَظَ النائِمَ أَنفاسُ السَحَر
And the stars drowned in a river issuing from it,
And the breaths of the predawn hour woke the sleeper,
وَخَمَّشَand scratched النَسيمُthe breeze أَغصانَthe branches of الشَجَرthe trees
وَخَمَّشَ النَسيمُ أَغصانَ الشَجَر
وَفَتَّتَand crumbled يَدُthe hand of الصَباthe east wind مِسكَthe musk of الزَهَرblossoms
وَفَتَّتَ يَدُ الصَبا مِسكَ الزَهَر
And the breeze scratched the branches of the trees,
And the hand of the east wind crumbled the musk of blossoms.
قُمناwe rose وَهَلand has ...? طابَbeen sweet نَعيمٌdelight وَاِستَمَرّand endured
قُمنا وَهَل طابَ نَعيمٌ وَاِستَمَرّ
قَدhad سَتَرَcovered اللَيلُthe night عَلَيناover us وَغَفَرand forgave
قَد سَتَرَ اللَيلُ عَلَينا وَغَفَر
We rose—and has any sweet delight ever endured?
The night had veiled us and forgiven us.
وَماand not لَذيذُthe delight of العَيشِlife إِلّاexcept ماwhat اِستَتَرis hidden
وَما لَذيذُ العَيشِ إِلّا ما اِستَتَر
لِلَّيلِto the night عِنديwith me مِنَنٌfavors إِذاwhen اِعتَكَرit grows dark
لِلَّيلِ عِندي مِنَنٌ إِذا اِعتَكَر
And life's delight is only what is kept hidden.
The night grants me favors when its darkness thickens.
يُلحِفُنيcloaks me جَناحُهُits wing عِندَat times of الحَذَرcaution
يُلحِفُني جَناحُهُ عِندَ الحَذَر
كَمhow many حاجَةٍa need قَضَيتُI fulfilled فيهِin it وَوَطَرand a desire
كَم حاجَةٍ قَضَيتُ فيهِ وَوَطَر
Its wing cloaks me when I am wary.
How many needs and desires I have fulfilled in it!
أَودَعتُهُI entrusted it with سِرَّthe secret of الهَوىlove فَماso not ظَهَرcame to light
أَودَعتُهُ سِرَّ الهَوى فَما ظَهَر
رَقَّsoftened عَلَيَّtoward me قَلبُهُits heart لَمّاwhen كَفَرit grew dark
رَقَّ عَلَيَّ قَلبُهُ لَمّا كَفَر
I entrusted it with love's secret, and it never came to light.
Its heart softened toward me when it grew dark.
أَشكُرُهُI thank it وَإِنَّand indeed مِثليone like me مَنone who شَكَرgave thanks
أَشكُرُهُ وَإِنَّ مِثلي مَن شَكَر
I thank it—and one like me is indeed grateful.
Sol 6.1