خَليلَيَّ ما بالُ الدُجى لا تَزَحزَحُ

خَليلَيَّ ما بالُ الدُجى لا تَزَحزَحُ

وَما بالُ ضَوءِ الصُبحِ لا يَتَوَضَّحُ

وَما بالُ ضَوءِ الصُبحِ لا يَتَوَضَّحُ

My two friends, why does the darkness not recede?

My beloved, why does the darkness not recede?

And why does the light of dawn not grow clear?

Why does the light of dawn not become clear?

أَضَلَّ الصَباحُ المُستَنيرُ سَبيلَهُ

أَضَلَّ الصَباحُ المُستَنيرُ سَبيلَهُ

أَمِ الدَهرُ لَيلٌ كُلُّهُ لَيسَ يَبرَحُ

أَمِ الدَهرُ لَيلٌ كُلُّهُ لَيسَ يَبرَحُ

Has the radiant morning lost its way,

Has the radiant morning lost its way?

or is all of time a night that never ends?

Or is time an endless night that does not fade?

وَطالَ عَلَيَّ اللَيلُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

وَطالَ عَلَيَّ اللَيلُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

بِلَيلَينِ مَوصولٌ فَما يَتَزَحزَحُ

بِلَيلَينِ مَوصولٌ فَما يَتَزَحزَحُ

And the night has dragged on for me, until it seems

The night has been so long for me, it is as if

joined to two nights, so it will not recede.

It were two nights joined, so it does not budge.

كَأَنَّ الدُجى زادَت وَما زادَتِ الدُجى

كَأَنَّ الدُجى زادَت وَما زادَتِ الدُجى

وَلَكِن أَطالَ اللَيلَ هَمٌّ مُبَرِّحُ

وَلَكِن أَطالَ اللَيلَ هَمٌّ مُبَرِّحُ

It seems the darkness has grown, yet the darkness has not grown;

It seems the darkness has increased, but not the gloom -

but tormenting sorrow has lengthened the night.

Rather, sorrow has prolonged the night, troublesome.

لَقَد هاجَ دَمعي نازِحٌ بِنُزوحِهِ

لَقَد هاجَ دَمعي نازِحٌ بِنُزوحِهِ

وَنَومي إِذا ما نَوَّمَ الناسَ أَنزَحُ

وَنَومي إِذا ما نَوَّمَ الناسَ أَنزَحُ

One far away has indeed stirred my tears by his departure;

My tears certainly gushed forth in their flowing,

and when sleep lulls others, my sleep is farther away.

And my sleep, when others slept, slipped away.

وَقالَ نِساءُ الحَيِّ ما لَكَ صافِحاً

وَقالَ نِساءُ الحَيِّ ما لَكَ صافِحاً

وَما كُنتَ عَن أُنسِ الأَوانِسِ تَصفَحُ

وَما كُنتَ عَن أُنسِ الأَوانِسِ تَصفَحُ

And the women of the clan said, 'Why are you turning away,

The women of the tribe said, "Why don't you befriend

when you never shunned the company of maidens?'

And why were you not intimate with the fairest of maids?"

فَقُلتُ لِسُعدى شافِعٌ مِن مَوَدَّتي

فَقُلتُ لِسُعدى شافِعٌ مِن مَوَدَّتي

إِذا رُمتُ أُخرى ظَلَّ في القَلبِ يَقدَحُ

إِذا رُمتُ أُخرى ظَلَّ في القَلبِ يَقدَحُ

So I said, 'Suʿdā has an intercessor in my affection;

So I said, "My love for Sa'diyya intercedes for me

whenever I seek another woman, it keeps striking sparks in my heart.'

When I desire another, it remains kindling in my heart."

فَقُلتُ أَفي ذَنبٍ أَتاكَ أَتَيتُهُ

فَقُلتُ أَفي ذَنبٍ أَتاكَ أَتَيتُهُ

تَأنيب أَم

تَأنيب أَم

So I said, 'For a sin I committed that you heard of, is there

So I said, "Did I commit a sin in coming to you

reproach, or...?'

Or does timidity quiver inside me toward her?

يَخِفُّ بِأَحشائي إِلَيها صَبابَةٌ

يَخِفُّ بِأَحشائي إِلَيها صَبابَةٌ

وَتُطرَقُ بِالهِجرانِ عَيني فَتَسفَحُ

وَتُطرَقُ بِالهِجرانِ عَيني فَتَسفَحُ

Deep within me, longing flutters toward her;

Does my eye overflow with tears from estrangement?"

and abandonment casts my eye down, so it sheds tears.

Oh long night, I do not recognize the morning

فَيا طولَ هَذا اللَيلِ لا أَعرِفُ الكَرى

فَيا طولَ هَذا اللَيلِ لا أَعرِفُ الكَرى

وَلا الصُبحُ فيهِ راحَةٌ فَأُرَوَّحُ

وَلا الصُبحُ فيهِ راحَةٌ فَأُرَوَّحُ

Ah, how long this night! I know no slumber;

Nor is there comfort in it, so I may breathe easy.

nor does dawn hold any rest that might bring me relief.

Sa'diyya, you forgot our love after we

أَناسِيَةٌ سُعدى هَوائِيَ بَعدَما

أَناسِيَةٌ سُعدى هَوائِيَ بَعدَما

لَهَونا بِها عَصراً نُخِفُّ وَنَمزَحُ

لَهَونا بِها عَصراً نُخِفُّ وَنَمزَحُ

Has Suʿdā forgotten my love, after

Idled with it an age, concealing and playing.

we made merry with her awhile, lighthearted and jesting,

Lovers, beloveds, we drown in passion

مُحِبَّينِ مَعشوقَينِ نَغرَقُ في الهَوى

مُحِبَّينِ مَعشوقَينِ نَغرَقُ في الهَوى

مِراراً وَطَوراً نَستَقِلُّ فَنَسبَحُ

مِراراً وَطَوراً نَستَقِلُّ فَنَسبَحُ

both loving and beloved, drowning in love

Again and again independent, we swim.

again and again, and at times rising, then swimming?

It is as if our love is both punishment and pleasure -

كَأَنَّ هَوانا في العِقابِ وَفي الرِضى

كَأَنَّ هَوانا في العِقابِ وَفي الرِضى

سَرابيلُنا تَنشَقُّ عَنّا وَتَنضَحُ

سَرابيلُنا تَنشَقُّ عَنّا وَتَنضَحُ

It was as though our love, in punishment and in contentment,

Our garments tear off us and soak through.

were our garments, tearing away from us and dripping,

Nights we track passion and it leads us

لَيالي نَقتادُ الهَوى وَيَقودُنا

لَيالي نَقتادُ الهَوى وَيَقودُنا

عَلى رَصَداتِ العَينِ وَالكَلبُ يُنبَحُ

عَلى رَصَداتِ العَينِ وَالكَلبُ يُنبَحُ

on nights when we led love, and it led us,

To lying in wait for eyes while dogs bark.

despite the eye's vigilant watch, while the dog was set barking.

So it was easy for others than he to travel that path

فَقَد ساغَ لِلغَيرانِ مِن ذاكَ ريقُهُ

فَقَد ساغَ لِلغَيرانِ مِن ذاكَ ريقُهُ

وَنامَ العِدى حَتّى اِفتَرَقنا وَأَنجَحوا

وَنامَ العِدى حَتّى اِفتَرَقنا وَأَنجَحوا

So at that, the jealous man could swallow his saliva with ease;

And the enemies slept until we parted and they triumphed.

and the enemies slept until we parted—and they succeeded.