ربَّ ليلٍ أُتحِفْتُ فيه بأنسٍ

ربَّ ليلٍ أُتحِفْتُ فيه بأنسٍ

من سميرٍ زَفَّ الحديث عروسا

من سميرٍ زَفَّ الحديث عروسا

Many a night I was graced with companionship,

O Lord of the night in which I was cloaked in companionship

from a night companion who ushered conversation forth as a bride.

From a conversation that flowed like a bride

فاجتنينا مما يُحَدِّث زَهراً

فاجتنينا مما يُحَدِّث زَهراً

واغتبقنا منْ خُلقِهِ خندريسا

واغتبقنا منْ خُلقِهِ خندريسا

So we plucked blossoms from what he recounted,

So we picked from what makes flowers bloom

and drank aged wine at evening from his nature.

And we embraced his refined manners

وانثنى الليلُ يَفْضُلُ الصبح حسناً

وانثنى الليلُ يَفْضُلُ الصبح حسناً

والدراري يفضُلْنَ فيه الشموسا

والدراري يفضُلْنَ فيه الشموسا

And the night came to surpass the dawn in beauty,

And the night leaned to excel the dawn in beauty

and the brilliant stars within it surpassed the suns.

And the maidens excelled the suns in it

ولئن كانَ لم يَحُلْ عن دجاه

ولئن كانَ لم يَحُلْ عن دجاه

فلقد عاد فحْمُهُ آبَنُوسا

فلقد عاد فحْمُهُ آبَنُوسا

And though it had not shed its darkness,

And if its darkness did not depart from its gloom

yet its charcoal had indeed become ebony.

Its obscurity returned like a young fawn