1. My night grew heavy and the darkness dense,
The shortest night is long in worries and woes intense.

2. As if leaden grief weighs down upon my heart,
No path lies open to joys that might impart.

3. How can it be when two dark shadows me immure,
No light between them and the lamp is poor and dim.

4. Naught but a starless grave the world entire,
To which my weary eyes for comfort turn, but slight and dire.

5. The night's a course and playground for the soul,
Where blasts of wind howl loud beyond control.

6. Beneath its cover souls toss to and fro,
And from those souls comes cureless pain and wildest woe.

7. A night that fears its stillness startled me awake.
A sleepless one hiding a corpse in its darkness opaque,

8. Casting its veil on deadly sins to make,
Where wakers despair and companions forsake.

9. The night hides peril while the people sleep,
The sword of havoc o'er the slumberers keep its fill.

10. How many wakeful, restless nights descend
On one uneasy soul, will dawn ne'er mend?

11. I light my heart, a candle for to weep,
With Imru al-Qais saying "Morn shall break,

12. Dawn with hope's sweet visage o'er me steal.
The sun shall shred the clouds amass and peel,

13. The gentle breeze set branches all a-swaying,"
But only in the morn my wish obeying,