طالَ الحَديثُ عَلَيكُم أَيُّها السَمَرُ

طالَ الحَديثُ عَلَيكُم أَيُّها السَمَرُ

وَلاحَ لِلنَومِ في أَجفانِكُم أَثَرُ

وَلاحَ لِلنَومِ في أَجفانِكُم أَثَرُ

The talk has grown long for you, O companions of the night,

The talk grew long upon you, O ye who pass the night in converse;

And a trace of sleep has appeared upon your eyelids.

And in your eyelids sleep could find no home at all;

وَذَلِكَ اللَيلُ قَد ضاعَت رَواحِلُهُ

وَذَلِكَ اللَيلُ قَد ضاعَت رَواحِلُهُ

فَلَيسَ يُرجى لَهُ مِن بَعدِها سَفَرُ

فَلَيسَ يُرجى لَهُ مِن بَعدِها سَفَرُ

And that night has lost its mounts,

And the night now is past, its stages gone forever,

So, with them gone, no journey can be hoped for it.

So that continued wakefulness is hopeless afterwards;

هَذي مَضاجِعُكُم يا قَومُ فَاِلتَقِطوا

هَذي مَضاجِعُكُم يا قَومُ فَاِلتَقِطوا

طيبَ الكَرى بِعُيونٍ شابَها السَهَرُ

طيبَ الكَرى بِعُيونٍ شابَها السَهَرُ

Here are your beds, O friends; so gather

Your resting places, O people! catch then pleasant sleep

The sweetness of slumber with eyes marred by sleeplessness.

With eyes that ever night-watching has kept open;

هَل يُنكِرُ النَومُ جَفنٌ لَو أُتيحَ لَهُ

هَل يُنكِرُ النَومُ جَفنٌ لَو أُتيحَ لَهُ

إِلّا أَنا وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ وَالقَمَرُ

إِلّا أَنا وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ وَالقَمَرُ

Would any eyelid refuse sleep, were it offered to it,

Will any eye reject sleep if 'twere offered,

Except me, the stars of night, and the moon?

Save mine, and yonder stars, and the passing moon?

أَبيتُ أَسأَلُ نَفسي كَيفَ قاطَعَني

أَبيتُ أَسأَلُ نَفسي كَيفَ قاطَعَني

هَذا الصَديقُ وَما لي عَنهُ مُصطَبَرُ

هَذا الصَديقُ وَما لي عَنهُ مُصطَبَرُ

I spend the night asking myself how he could cut me off—

Long did I question self how this dear friend could leave me—

This friend, though I cannot bear being without him.

He from whom I ne'er looked for such estrangement;

فَما مُطَوَّقَةٌ قَد نالَها شَرَكٌ

فَما مُطَوَّقَةٌ قَد نالَها شَرَكٌ

عِندَ الغُروبِ إِلَيهِ ساقَها القَدَرُ

عِندَ الغُروبِ إِلَيهِ ساقَها القَدَرُ

For no collared dove caught in a snare,

And lo! a sandgrouse in a trap entangled

To which fate drove her at sunset,

At sunset to its fate by destiny was brought;

باتَت تُجاهِدُ هَمّاً وَهيَ آبِسَةٌ

باتَت تُجاهِدُ هَمّاً وَهيَ آبِسَةٌ

مِنَ النَجاةِ وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ مُعتَكِرُ

مِنَ النَجاةِ وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ مُعتَكِرُ

Battling grief through the night, despairing

All night it strove with cares, heart-rent and anxious

Of escape, while night’s darkness lay thick,

For its escape, while night's wings overshadowed;

وَباتَ زُغلولُها في وَكرِها فَزِعاً

وَباتَ زُغلولُها في وَكرِها فَزِعاً

مُرَوَّعاً لِرُجوعِ الأُمِّ يَنتَظِرُ

مُرَوَّعاً لِرُجوعِ الأُمِّ يَنتَظِرُ

With her squab spending the night frightened in her nest,

And in his hole her young one all night trembling

Terrified, awaiting its mother’s return—

Lay, fearful for the mother's coming, waiting;

يُحَفِّزُ الخَوفُ أَحشاهُ وَتُزعِجُهُ

يُحَفِّزُ الخَوفُ أَحشاهُ وَتُزعِجُهُ

إِذا سَرَت نَسمَةٌ أَو وَسوَسَ الشَجَرُ

إِذا سَرَت نَسمَةٌ أَو وَسوَسَ الشَجَرُ

Fear goads its innards, and it is startled

Fear stirred his vitals, everything alarmed him,

Whenever a breeze stirs or the trees whisper—

The breeze's breathing or the whispering branches;

مِنّي بِأَسوَأَ حالاً حينَ قاطَعَني

مِنّي بِأَسوَأَ حالاً حينَ قاطَعَني

هَذا الصَديقُ فَهَلّا كانَ يَدَّكِرُ

هَذا الصَديقُ فَهَلّا كانَ يَدَّكِرُ

Is in a worse plight than I was when he cut me off,

Worse is my case than his when my friend left me—

This friend—why did he not remember?

Would he had ne'er forgot me! Shall I make excuse?

يا اِبنَ الكِرامِ أَتَنسى أَنَّني رَجُلٌ

يا اِبنَ الكِرامِ أَتَنسى أَنَّني رَجُلٌ

لِظِلِّ جاهِكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ مُفتَقِرُ

لِظِلِّ جاهِكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ مُفتَقِرُ

O son of the noble, do you forget that I am a man

O generous youth, canst thou forget I am a man

Who, after God, needs the shade of your influence?

Dependent, after Allah, on thy favour?

إِنّي فَتاكَ فَلا تَقطَع مُواصَلَتي

إِنّي فَتاكَ فَلا تَقطَع مُواصَلَتي

هَبني جَنَيتُ فَقُل لي كَيفَ أَعتَذِرُ

هَبني جَنَيتُ فَقُل لي كَيفَ أَعتَذِرُ

Indeed, I am your servant; so do not sever our ties.

I am a warrior, do not break with me,

Suppose I have offended; then tell me how I can apologize.

Turn to me, slave am I—how shall I make amends?