يا رب ليل طويناه على قلق

ما متعت مقلتي فيه بطيب كرى

Ah, many a night we passed in unease,

my eye enjoyed no sweet slumber in it.

كأنه ليل مجنون ترقب ان

يأتي الصباح عسى أن يقمع الكدرا

It was like Majnun's night, as he waited for

morning to come, hoping it might quell distress.

ترى جفوني من الدخان هامية

تجري كدلف بدا من سقفنا وجرى

You see my eyelids streaming from the smoke,

flowing like a leak that sprang from our roof and ran.

فالدلف يمنعنا طيب المنام إذا

من فوقنا حل بالأوجاه وانحدرا

So the leaking denies us sweet sleep when

it lands on our faces from above and trickles down.

كذا الدخاخين مذ هاجت لكثرتها

أعمت جوار حنا والقلب والنظر

Likewise, the smoke-clouds, since they surged in such abundance,

blinded our limbs, our heart, and our sight.

تقول أخشابه في حال طقطقة

يا قوم لا تأمنوا التدمير والضررا

Its timbers say as they crackle:

"O people, do not think yourselves safe from destruction and harm!"

من فوقنا منحني الأخشاب مندثرا

كيف المنام وسقف البيت انظره

Overhead, with sagging timbers, crumbling away—

how can we sleep? Look at the roof of the house!

كذاك أبوابنا مفتوحة فعسى

الدخان يخرج كي نسترجع البصرا

Likewise, our doors stand open, in the hope that

the smoke will leave, so we may regain our sight.

دخان صادوم من جيراننا وكذا

من سقفنا طوفان الدلف قد قطرا

Sodom's smoke comes from our neighbors, and likewise

from our roof has dripped a deluge of leaking water.

وضجة قد بدت في بابل ظهرت

من العطية عندي تدهش الفكرا

And a clamor that arose in Babel has appeared

from the gift here, bewildering my mind.

فهذه حالنا منذ المغيب إلى ال

صباح نلقى شديد الريح والمطرا

So this is our condition from sunset until the

morning: we face fierce wind and rain.

لكننا من ضيا نور الأمير لنا

طبنا قلوبا ولم نعبا بما صدرا

But through the radiance of the prince's light upon us,

we grew glad at heart and cared nothing for what had happened.

وعند ما شرفت أفواهنا سحرا

بلثم راحته زال الأسى وسرى

And when our mouths were honored before dawn

by kissing his palm, sorrow vanished and went on its way.