أناI ياO ليلnight أناجىI commune
أنا يا ليل أناجى
منكof yours سلطاناًa sovereign رحيمmerciful
منك سلطاناً رحيم
I, O night, commune
O night, I confide in you
with a merciful sovereign of yours,
Of you, a merciful sultan
منwho بنىbuilt جسرa bridge الأمانيthe hopes
من بنى جسر الأماني
فوقabove أمواجwaves الهمومthe worries
فوق أمواج الهموم
who built a bridge of hopes
Who built the bridge of wishes
above the waves of care,
Above the waves of worries
واحتسىand sipped منfrom كاسthe cup ودىmy affection
واحتسى من كاس ودى
خمرةwine الخلthe friend الحميمintimate
خمرة الخل الحميم
and sipped from the cup of my affection
And sipped from the cup of affection
the wine of the intimate friend.
The wine of intimate vinegar
يطفىءhe quenches النارthe fire اذاwhen ماemphatic particle
يطفىء النار اذا ما
هاجنيstirs me الذكرremembrance الأليمpainful
هاجني الذكر الأليم
He quenches the fire whenever
That extinguishes the fire when
painful remembrance stirs me.
The painful memories ignite me
يرسلhe sends الرحمةmercy تنفىdispels
يرسل الرحمة تنفى
قسوةcruelty الشوقthe longing القديمold
قسوة الشوق القديم
He sends mercy that dispels
Who sends mercy to banish
the cruelty of old longing.
The harshness of old longing
صادقtrue الوعدthe promise كريمgenerous
صادق الوعد كريم
وعلىand in الودaffection مقيمabiding
وعلى الود مقيم
True to his promise, generous,
Loyal to his promise, generous
and steadfast in affection.
And steadfast in his affection
هوhe ليto me خلa friend أمينtrustworthy
هو لي خل أمين
ولأفكاريand to my thoughts نديمa boon companion
ولأفكاري نديم
He is a trusted friend to me,
He is to me a faithful friend
and a boon companion to my thoughts.
And a companion to my thoughts
أناI فيin الدنياthe world وحيدalone
أنا في الدنيا وحيد
ولىand to me الناسthe people خصومadversaries
ولى الناس خصوم
I am alone in the world,
I am in this world lonely
and people are my foes.
With people as foes
راقهمit pleased them أنthat جدoccurred أمرa matter
راقهم أن جد أمر
برقa flash غدرtreachery لاnot يدومlasts
برق غدر لا يدوم
They were pleased that something had occurred—
They liked that the matter became
a flash of treachery that does not last.
A fleeting treachery
ورأيتand I saw الغدرtreachery ناراa fire
ورأيت الغدر نارا
ورأواand they saw فيهin it النعيمbliss
ورأوا فيه النعيم
And I saw treachery as fire,
And I saw the betrayal as fire
and they saw bliss in it.
And they saw in it bliss
هدمواthey demolished بنيانthe edifice ودىmy affection
هدموا بنيان ودى
وانمحتand were effaced منهfrom it الرسومthe traces
وانمحت منه الرسوم
They demolished the edifice of my affection,
They destroyed the edifice of affection
and its traces were effaced.
And its features were erased
ومليكand the king الليلthe night برkind
ومليك الليل بر
هوhe ليto me أمa mother رؤومtender
هو لي أم رؤوم
And the king of night is kind;
But the king of the night is righteous
he is a tender mother to me.
To me, a merciful mother
هوhe ليto me خلa friend أمينtrustworthy
هو لي خل أمين
ولأفكاريand to my thoughts نديمa boon companion
ولأفكاري نديم
He is a trusted friend to me,
He is to me a faithful friend
and a boon companion to my thoughts.
And a companion to my thoughts
أنI (apparently intended) منfrom أدرانthe stains صحبيmy companions
أن من أدران صحبي
طاهرpure القلبthe heart سليمsound
طاهر القلب سليم
I, free of my companions' stains,
That whoever is truly my companion
am pure and sound of heart.
With a pure heart and uncorrupted
أجدI find اللذاتthe pleasures تترىcoming in succession
أجد اللذات تترى
إنif دناdraws near الليلthe night البهيمpitch-dark
إن دنا الليل البهيم
I find delights coming one after another
I find pleasures appear
when pitch-dark night draws near.
When the ominous night draws near
فأرىso I see وحييmy inspiration طروباenraptured
فأرى وحيي طروبا
بينamong هالاتthe halos النجومthe stars
بين هالات النجوم
So I see my inspiration, enraptured,
I see my inspiration exalted
amid the halos of the stars,
Among the halos of the stars
منشداًreciting شعرىmy verse وأنيand I
منشداً شعرى وأني
لستI am not أدرىI know ماwhat يرومit seeks
لست أدرى ما يروم
reciting my verse, while I
Reciting my poetry while
do not know what it seeks.
Not knowing what it signifies
ومليكand the king الليلthe night يدنيbrings close
ومليك الليل يدني
منto فمىmy mouth خمرwine النسيمthe breeze
من فمى خمر النسيم
And the king of night brings close
And the king of the night draws near
to my mouth the wine of the breeze.
From my mouth the wine of breeze
هوhe ليto me خلa friend أمينtrustworthy
هو لي خل أمين
ولأفكاريand to my thoughts نديمa boon companion
ولأفكاري نديم
He is a trusted friend to me,
He is to me a faithful friend
and a boon companion to my thoughts.
And a companion to my thoughts
لاnot أرىI see فيin الصبحthe morning إلاexcept
لا أرى في الصبح إلا
كلevery غدارbetrayer أثيمsinful
كل غدار أثيم
I see in the morning nothing but
In the morning I see nothing
every sinful betrayer.
But every treacherous sinner
وأرىand I see فيin الليلthe night سعدىmy happiness
وأرى في الليل سعدى
يحملbearing الخيرthe good العميمabundant
يحمل الخير العميم
And at night I see my happiness
And I see in the night my bliss
bearing abundant good.
Bearing boundless good
هوhe فيin عينيmy eyes نقىpure
هو في عيني نقى
ناصعradiant صافيclear الأديمthe complexion
ناصع صافي الأديم
He is pure in my eyes,
In my eyes he is pure
radiant, with a clear complexion.
Gleaming, unsullied
وبهand through him صحبيmy companions كثيرmany
وبه صحبي كثير
بعدafter أنthat كنتI was اليتيمthe orphan
بعد أن كنت اليتيم
And through him my companions are many,
And through him many a friend
after I had been an orphan.
After I was the orphan
ومليكand the king الليلthe night يحيىrevives
ومليك الليل يحيى
ماwhat غداbecame منىof me رميمdecayed remains
ما غدا منى رميم
And the king of night revives
And the king of the night enlivens
what in me had fallen into decay.
What has wilted of me
هوhe ليto me خلa friend أمينtrustworthy
هو لي خل أمين
ولأفكاريand to my thoughts نديمa boon companion
ولأفكاري نديم
He is a trusted friend to me,
He is to me a faithful friend
and a boon companion to my thoughts.
And a companion to my thoughts
أناI ياO ليلnight أناجيI commune
أنا يا ليل أناجي
منكof yours سلطاناًa sovereign رحيمmerciful
منك سلطاناً رحيم
I, O night, commune
O night, I confide in you
with a merciful sovereign of yours.
Of you, a merciful sultan
Sol 6.1