ماwhat لِهَذاwith this النَجمِthe star فيin السَحَرِthe predawn hour
ما لِهَذا النَجمِ في السَحَرِ
قَدindeed سَهاgrew distracted مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of السَهَرِwakefulness
قَد سَها مِن شِدَّةِ السَهَرِ
What ails this star in the predawn hour?
What ails this star in the dark of night
It has indeed grown distracted from the strain of wakefulness.
It has lost its way from staying up late
خِلتُهُI thought it ياO قَومُmy people يُؤنِسُنيkeeps me company
خِلتُهُ يا قَومُ يُؤنِسُني
إِنif جَفانيshunned me مُؤنِسُthe companion of السَحَرِthe predawn hour
إِن جَفاني مُؤنِسُ السَحَرِ
I thought, my people, it would keep me company
My friend, it comforts me in solitude
if my predawn companion shunned me.
When the friend of nightfall abandons me
ياO لِقَوميto my people إِنَّنيindeed I رَجُلٌa man
يا لِقَومي إِنَّني رَجُلٌ
أَفنَتِexhausted الأَيّامُthe days مُصطَبَريmy patience
أَفنَتِ الأَيّامُ مُصطَبَري
O my people, I am a man
O my people, I am but a man
whose patience the days have worn away.
Whose days are worn down with patience
أَسهَرَتنيkept me awake الحادِثاتُcalamities وَقَدand already
أَسهَرَتني الحادِثاتُ وَقَد
نامَfell asleep حَتّىeven هاتِفُthe songbird of الشَجَرِthe trees
نامَ حَتّى هاتِفُ الشَجَرِ
Calamities have kept me awake, while
The events have kept me up awake
even the songbird in the trees has fallen asleep.
While even the trees' caller slept
وَالدُجىand the darkness يَخطوwalks عَلىat مَهَلٍa slow pace
وَالدُجى يَخطو عَلى مَهَلٍ
خَطوَthe gait of ذيone possessing عِزٍّdignity وَذيand one possessing خَفَرِbashfulness
خَطوَ ذي عِزٍّ وَذي خَفَرِ
And the darkness walks slowly,
The darkness walks slowly
with the gait of one dignified and one bashful.
With the gait of glory and vigilance
فيهِwithin it شَخصُthe figure of اليَأسِdespair عانَقَنيembraced me
فيهِ شَخصُ اليَأسِ عانَقَني
كَحَبيبٍlike a beloved آبَreturned مِنfrom سَفَرِa journey
كَحَبيبٍ آبَ مِن سَفَرِ
Within it, the figure of despair embraced me,
In it the specter of despair embraced me
like a beloved returned from a journey.
Like a lover returned from journey
وَأَثارَتand stirred بيwithin me فَوادِحُهُits grievous afflictions
وَأَثارَت بي فَوادِحُهُ
كامِناتِthe dormant feelings of الهَمِّworry وَالكَدَرِand sorrow
كامِناتِ الهَمِّ وَالكَدَرِ
And its grievous afflictions stirred within me
And it stirred in me sorrows
the dormant feelings of worry and sorrow.
Latent woes and distress
وَكَأَنَّand as though اللَيلَthe night أَقسَمَswore لاnot
وَكَأَنَّ اللَيلَ أَقسَمَ لا
يَنقَضيend أَوuntil يَنقَضيends عُمُريmy life
يَنقَضي أَو يَنقَضي عُمُري
And it is as though the night has sworn not
As if the night vowed never
to end until my life ends.
To end or my life to cease
أَيُّهاO you الزِنجِيُّthe black man ماwhat لَكَis with you لَمhave not
أَيُّها الزِنجِيُّ ما لَكَ لَم
تَخشَfear فيناin your dealings with us خالِقَthe Creator of البَشَرِhumankind
تَخشَ فينا خالِقَ البَشَرِ
O black man, why have you not
O dark-skinned one, why do you not dread
feared the Creator of humankind in your dealings with us?
The Creator of mankind in us
ليI have حَبيبٌa beloved هاجِرٌshunning وَلَهُand he has
لي حَبيبٌ هاجِرٌ وَلَهُ
صورَةٌa form مِنamong أَبدَعِthe most exquisite of الصُوَرِforms
صورَةٌ مِن أَبدَعِ الصُوَرِ
I have a beloved who shuns me, and he has
I have a lover who migrated and has
a form among the most exquisite of forms.
An image of the finest forms
أَتَلاشىI fade away فيin مَحَبَّتِهِlove for him
أَتَلاشى في مَحَبَّتِهِ
كَتَلاشيlike the fading of الظِلِّthe shadow فيin القَمَرِthe moon
كَتَلاشي الظِلِّ في القَمَرِ
I fade away in my love for him,
I wasted away in love of him
as a shadow fades away in the moonlight.
Like the shadow waning in the moon
Sol 6.1