أقولُI say والصّبْحُand the dawn لاdoes not تَبْدوappear مَخايِلُهُits signs
أقولُ والصّبْحُ لا تَبْدو مَخايِلُهُ
وقدand indeed تعجّبْتُI marveled منْat سُهْديmy sleeplessness ومِنْand at أرَقِيmy insomnia
وقد تعجّبْتُ منْ سُهْدي ومِنْ أرَقِي
I say, while no signs of dawn appear,
and I marvel at my sleeplessness and restless nights:
كأنّماas though اللّيْلُthe night زَنْجِيٌّa Zanj man مَلابِسُهُhis garments
كأنّما اللّيْلُ زَنْجِيٌّ مَلابِسُهُ
قدindeed زُيّنَتْwere adorned بِلآلِئwith pearls أنْجُمِstars of الأفقِthe horizon
قد زُيّنَتْ بِلآلِئ أنْجُمِ الأفقِ
It is as though the night were a Zanj man, whose garments
are adorned with the pearls of the horizon’s stars.
ونامَand he slept سُكْراًdrunk فَلاso no شيءthing يُنَبِّهُهُwakes him
ونامَ سُكْراً فَلا شيء يُنَبِّهُهُ
لمّاwhen تحسّىhe sipped دِراكاًin succession حُمْرَةَthe redness of الشّفَقِtwilight
لمّا تحسّى دِراكاً حُمْرَةَ الشّفَقِ
He has fallen asleep drunk, and nothing wakes him,
having sipped the redness of twilight, draught after draught.
Sol 6