رُبَّ ليل قد صفا الأفق به

رُبَّ ليل قد صفا الأفق به

وبما قد أبدع الله ازدهر

وبما قد أبدع الله ازدهر

Many a night in which the horizon grew clear,

Many a night whose horizon has cleared

And bloomed with what God had wondrously made,

With what God has created, glowing

وسرى فيه نسيم عَبِقٌ

وسرى فيه نسيم عَبِقٌ

فكأن الليل بُستَان عطر

فكأن الليل بُستَان عطر

And a fragrant breeze stole through it,

A gentle breeze blows in it

As though the night were a fragrant garden.

As if the night were a fragrant garden

قلت يا رب لمن جمَّلته

قلت يا رب لمن جمَّلته

ولمن هذي الثريات الغرر

ولمن هذي الثريات الغرر

I said, 'O Lord, for whom have you adorned it,

I said: Oh Lord for whom have you adorned it

And for whom are these radiant chandeliers?'

And for whom are these shining gems

فعرا الأفقَ قتام وبَدَت

فعرا الأفقَ قتام وبَدَت

سحب تحبو إلى وجه القمر

سحب تحبو إلى وجه القمر

Then a dark haze overtook the horizon, and there appeared

The horizon darkened in gloom and

Clouds crawling toward the face of the moon.

Clouds longing for the moon's face appeared

كلما تقرب تمتد له

كلما تقرب تمتد له

كأكفّ شرهاتٍ تنتظر

كأكفّ شرهاتٍ تنتظر

Whenever they drew near, they reached out toward it,

As it drew near, they stretched out

Like greedy hands waiting.

Like greedy hands waiting

صحت بالبدر تنبه للنذر

صحت بالبدر تنبه للنذر

أدركِ الهالة حفت بالخطر

أدركِ الهالة حفت بالخطر

I cried to the full moon, 'Take heed of the warnings!

I called to the moon, awaken your vow

Save the halo—it is encircled by danger.

Reach the halo, surrounded by danger

لا تبح مائدة النور لهم

لا تبح مائدة النور لهم

لا تبحها لسواد معتكر

لا تبحها لسواد معتكر

Do not yield the table of light to them;

Do not uncover the table of light for them

Do not yield it to murky darkness!'

Do not uncover it for the pitch blackness

قهقه الرعد ودوَّى ساخراً

قهقه الرعد ودوَّى ساخراً

فكأن الرعد عربيد سكر

فكأن الرعد عربيد سكر

The thunder guffawed and boomed in mockery,

Thunder roared and rumbled mockingly

As though the thunder were a drunken lout.

As if the thunder were a drunken Arab

قمت مذعوراً وهمت قبضَتي

قمت مذعوراً وهمت قبضَتي

ثم مدت ثم ردت من خَور

ثم مدت ثم ردت من خَور

I rose, terrified, and my fist made ready;

I rose up terrified and my hand moved

Then it was thrust out, then drawn back in weakness.

To grasp, then relaxed weakly

لهف القلب على الحسن إذا

لهف القلب على الحسن إذا

قهقه الغربان والذِئب سخِر

قهقه الغربان والذِئب سخِر

The heart grieves for beauty when

My heart yearned for beauty when

The crows guffaw and the wolf mocks.

The raven croaked and the wolf jeered

تحتمي الوردة بالشوك فإن

تحتمي الوردة بالشوك فإن

كثر القطاف لم تغن الإبر

كثر القطاف لم تغن الإبر

The rose shelters behind thorns; but if

The rose shelters with thorns, for if

The pickers grow many, the needles are of no use.

Much is plucked, thorns cannot suffice

آهِ من غصن غنيّ بالجنى

آهِ من غصن غنيّ بالجنى

ومِن الطامع في ذاك الثمر

ومِن الطامع في ذاك الثمر

Ah, for a bough rich in fruit,

Alas for a branch heavy with fruit

And for the one who covets that fruit!

And for the greedy eyeing that yield

آه من شك ومن حب ومن

آه من شك ومن حب ومن

هاجِسات وظنونٍ وحذر

هاجِسات وظنونٍ وحذر

Ah, for doubt, and for love, and for

Alas for doubt, for love, for

Haunting thoughts, suspicions, and apprehension,

Obsessions, suspicions, and caution

كست الأفقَ سواداً لم يكن

كست الأفقَ سواداً لم يكن

غير غيم جاثم فوق الفكر

غير غيم جاثم فوق الفكر

Which cloaked the horizon in darkness that was nothing

Blackness covered the horizon that was not

But a cloud crouching over thought.

But a cloud crouched above thought

طالما قلت لقلبي كلما

طالما قلت لقلبي كلما

أنّ في جنبي أنين المحتضر

أنّ في جنبي أنين المحتضر

Often I have said to my heart, whenever

Often I've said to my heart whenever

It groaned in my breast like someone dying:

A death rattle sounded in my chest

إن تكن خانت وعقَّت حبنا

إن تكن خانت وعقَّت حبنا

فأضِفها للجراحات الأخر

فأضِفها للجراحات الأخر

'If she has betrayed and disowned our love,

If she betrayed and broke our love

Then add her to the other wounds.'

Add that to the other wounds