يا لَيْلُ ما فَعَلَ الصباحُ

أَفَمَا لمُبْهَمِهِ اتِّضاحُ

O night, what has the dawn done?

Has its ambiguous one gained any clarity?

لَيْلِي غُرابٌ واقعٌ

في الشرق ليس له جَناحُ

My night, a raven has fallen

In the east, wingless,

دَلَكَتْ بَراحِ فقالت ال

أفلاكُ ليس لنا بَراحُ

The stars complained, saying -

"We have no comfort in these cycles."

مَرِضَتْ عن السيْرِ الدُّجى

وَرَنَتْ لها الحدَقُ الصِّحاحُ

The darkness fell ill

And its bright eyes cried out,

ما زال تَبْيَضُّ العُقو

دُ بها ويسْوَدُّ الوِشاحُ

The white full moons still shine

While the black crescent fades,

حتى أقول عساه يَخْ

ضِب شَيْبَهُ الدهرُ الوَقاحُ

Until I say "Maybe this shameless time

Will strip away its old age."

وكأنّما خَلَعَتْ غدا

ئراها على الجوِّ المِلاحُ

It's as if tomorrow

It will shed its shrouds into the salty air.