اللَّيْلُthe night يَاO صاحِبَيَّmy two companions مُنْطَلِقُdeparting
اللَّيْلُ يَا صاحِبَيَّ مُنْطَلِقُ
يُقَادُis led زَحْفَاًcrawling وَمَاand not بِهِin it رَمَقُa spark of life
يُقَادُ زَحْفَاً وَمَا بِهِ رَمَقُ
The night, O my two companions, is departing.
It is led away crawling, with not a spark of life in it.
غَمَّضَclosed its eye دُونَbefore الغُرُوبِsetting كَوْكَبُهُits star
غَمَّضَ دُونَ الغُرُوبِ كَوْكَبُهُ
إِذْfor شَفَّهُwore it down طُولَthroughout لَيْلِهِits night الأَرَقُsleeplessness
إِذْ شَفَّهُ طُولَ لَيْلِهِ الأَرَقُ
Its star closed its eye before setting,
for sleeplessness had worn it down all night long.
وَرَقَّand grew thin جِدّاًvery رِدَاءُthe mantle of ظُلْمَتِهِits darkness
وَرَقَّ جِدّاً رِدَاءُ ظُلْمَتِهِ
فَهْوَso it is عَلَىupon مِنْكَبِthe shoulder of الرُّبَىthe hills خَلَقُthreadbare
فَهْوَ عَلَى مِنْكَبِ الرُّبَى خَلَقُ
And the mantle of its darkness grew very thin,
so it lies threadbare on the shoulder of the hills.
تَأَمَّلاَconsider, you two الغَرْبَthe west كِيْفَhow قَابَلَهُmet it
تَأَمَّلاَ الغَرْبَ كِيْفَ قَابَلَهُ
شَرْقٌan east بِتَوْرِيْدِwith the rosy tint of فَجْرِهِits dawn شَرِقُradiant
شَرْقٌ بِتَوْرِيْدِ فَجْرِهِ شَرِقُ
Consider the west, you two—how it was met
by an east radiant with its dawn's rosy glow.
فَاصْطَبَحَاهَاso drink it at dawn, you two عَلَىupon مُفَوَّفَةٍa many-colored robe
فَاصْطَبَحَاهَا عَلَى مُفَوَّفَةٍ
بَاتِspent the night لَهَاfor it بِالْقِطَارِwith rain showers مُغْتَبَقُِan evening draught
بَاتِ لَهَا بِالْقِطَارِ مُغْتَبَقُِ
So drink it at dawn upon a many-colored robe,
whose evening draught throughout the night was rain:
رَوْضٌa garden غَرِيْقٌdrenched وَبُكْرَةٌand a morning ضَحِكَتْsmiled
رَوْضٌ غَرِيْقٌ وَبُكْرَةٌ ضَحِكَتْ
عَنْrevealing أُفُقِa horizon بِالْبُرُوقِwith lightning يَحْتَرِقُburns
عَنْ أُفُقِ بِالْبُرُوقِ يَحْتَرِقُ
a drenched garden; and a morning smiled,
revealing a horizon ablaze with lightning.
وَلَيْسَand there is not لِلْقُرِّagainst the cold غَيْرُanything but صَافِيَةٍclear wine
وَلَيْسَ لِلْقُرِّ غَيْرُ صَافِيَةٍ
تَدْفَعُwards off مَاwhat لَيْسَdoes not يَدْفَعُward off الدُّلَقُwoolen cloaks
تَدْفَعُ مَا لَيْسَ يَدْفَعُ الدُّلَقُ
And against the cold there is only clear wine,
warding off what woolen cloaks cannot ward off.
دِرْيَاقُan antidote to أَفْعَىthe viper of الشِّتَاءِwinter وَهْيَand it إِذَاwhen
دِرْيَاقُ أَفْعَى الشِّتَاءِ وَهْيَ إِذَا
سَلَّdraws عَلَيْنَاagainst us سُيُوفَهُhis swords دَرَقُshields
سَلَّ عَلَيْنَا سُيُوفَهُ دَرَقُ
An antidote to winter's viper; and, when
he draws his swords against us, it is our shield.
جَازَتْit has surpassed مَدَىthe reach of الفِكْرِthought فِيin الصَّفَاءِclarity فَلَوْso if
جَازَتْ مَدَى الفِكْرِ فِي الصَّفَاءِ فَلَوْ
مَازَجَهَاmingled with it الوَهْمُimagination مَسَّهَاwould touch it رَنَقُcloudiness
مَازَجَهَا الوَهْمُ مَسَّهَا رَنَقُ
It has surpassed the reach of thought in clarity; were
imagination to mingle with it, cloudiness would touch it.
وَعَصْفَرَتْand it dyed safflower-red رَاحَةَthe palm of المُدِيْرِthe cupbearer كَمَاjust as
وَعَصْفَرَتْ رَاحَةَ المُدِيْرِ كَمَا
عَصْفَرَdyed safflower-red جَيْبَthe bosom of الدُّجُنَّةِthe darkness الشَّفَقُtwilight
عَصْفَرَ جَيْبَ الدُّجُنَّةِ الشَّفَقُ
And it dyed the cupbearer's palm safflower-red, as
twilight dyed the bosom of the darkness.
Sol 6.1