اللَيلُ في صَدري بَدا يُظلمُ

اللَيلُ في صَدري بَدا يُظلمُ

لا كَوكَبٌ فيهِ وَلا أَنجُمُ

لا كَوكَبٌ فيهِ وَلا أَنجُمُ

Night in my breast appeared to grow dark.

The night in my chest began to darken

No star within it, nor any stars.

No stars in it, no moon

يعثُر قَلبي هائِماً في الدُجى

يعثُر قَلبي هائِماً في الدُجى

بِأَعظُمِ الصَدرِ فَلا يَسلَمُ

بِأَعظُمِ الصَدرِ فَلا يَسلَمُ

My heart, wandering in the darkness, stumbles

My heart stumbles lost in the gloom

Against the bones of my breast, and finds no safety.

With the greatest anguish, and cannot be saved

إِن يَكُ ظَمآناً فَما من دَم

إِن يَكُ ظَمآناً فَما من دَم

جَفَّت عُروقي لَيسَ فيها دَمُ

جَفَّت عُروقي لَيسَ فيها دَمُ

If it is thirsty, there is no blood;

If it is thirsty, there is no blood

My veins have dried up; there is no blood in them.

My veins are dry, no blood in them

وَإِن يَكُن جاعَ فَلا مَأكَلٌ

وَإِن يَكُن جاعَ فَلا مَأكَلٌ

يَغذوهُ إِلّا ذلِكَ العَلقَمُ

يَغذوهُ إِلّا ذلِكَ العَلقَمُ

And if it has grown hungry, there is no food

And if it is hungry, there is no food

To nourish it except that bitter colocynth.

That can nourish it except that gum

يَشقى وَلا يَعلَمُ ماذا بِهِ

يَشقى وَلا يَعلَمُ ماذا بِهِ

يَذوبُ كَالشَمعِ وَلا يَعلَمُ

يَذوبُ كَالشَمعِ وَلا يَعلَمُ

It suffers and does not know what ails it;

It suffers but does not know what ails it

It melts like wax and does not know.

It melts like a candle but does not know

وَرغمَ هذا عِندَ مَرأى الهَوى

وَرغمَ هذا عِندَ مَرأى الهَوى

يُقدم كَالنِمرِ وَلا يُحجمُ

يُقدم كَالنِمرِ وَلا يُحجمُ

And despite this, at the sight of love,

And despite this, at the sight of love

It advances like a leopard and does not draw back.

It advances like a tiger, and does not hesitate

طَوائِفُ الجِنِّ تَراءَت لَهُ

طَوائِفُ الجِنِّ تَراءَت لَهُ

فَخافَ مِنها الحلكُ الأَدهَمُ

فَخافَ مِنها الحلكُ الأَدهَمُ

Bands of jinn appeared to it,

Legions of jinn appeared to him

And the pitch-black darkness feared them.

The pitch-black tattoo was afraid of them

وَاِتَّخَذت في جُنبه مسكِناً

وَاِتَّخَذت في جُنبه مسكِناً

تُفشي إِلَيهِ الوَيلَ لا تَكتمُ

تُفشي إِلَيهِ الوَيلَ لا تَكتمُ

And they took up a dwelling in its side,

And they took residence by his side

Disclosing woe to it, not concealing it.

Spreading misery to him, not hiding it

لمّا رَآهُ حبُّه قالَ لي

لمّا رَآهُ حبُّه قالَ لي

هذا عَظيمٌ قُلتُ بل أَعظَمُ

هذا عَظيمٌ قُلتُ بل أَعظَمُ

When its love saw it, it said to me:

When his love saw him, he said to me

'This is grievous.' I said, 'Nay, more grievous still.'

This is terrible, I said no, it's worse

قالَ وَأَينَ اللَهُ قلتُ اِقتَضى

قالَ وَأَينَ اللَهُ قلتُ اِقتَضى

في الشَرعِ أَلّا يُرحَمُ المغرمُ

في الشَرعِ أَلّا يُرحَمُ المغرمُ

It said, 'And where is God?' I said, 'He decreed

He said where is God, I said the law requires

In religious law that the lovestruck be shown no mercy.'

That the infatuated not be shown mercy

قالَ وَأَينَ العَدل قُلتُ اِنثَنى

قالَ وَأَينَ العَدل قُلتُ اِنثَنى

مِن هذِهِ الدُنيا فَلا يقدُمُ

مِن هذِهِ الدُنيا فَلا يقدُمُ

It said, 'And where is justice?' I said, 'It turned away

He said where is justice, I said it recoiled

From this world, and comes no more.'

From this world, so does not advance

قالَ عَجيبٌ لَيسَ من راحِمٍ

قالَ عَجيبٌ لَيسَ من راحِمٍ

وَأَينَ سَلمى قُلتُ لا ترحمُ

وَأَينَ سَلمى قُلتُ لا ترحمُ

It said, 'Strange! There is no one to show mercy.

He said how strange, there is no compassion

And where is Salma?' I said, 'She shows no mercy.'

And where is Salma, I said do not have mercy