أَلا رُبَّ لَيلٍ بِتُّ أرعى نُجومَه

أَلا رُبَّ لَيلٍ بِتُّ أرعى نُجومَه

فلم أغتَمِضْ فيه ولا اللَّيلُ أغمَضا

فلم أغتَمِضْ فيه ولا اللَّيلُ أغمَضا

Lo, many a night I have spent watching its stars,

O nights whose stars kept me awake

And I did not close my eyes in it, nor did the night close its own.

I did not close my eyes nor did the night blink

كأنَّ الثُرَيَّا راحَةٌ تَشْبُرُ الدُّجى

كأنَّ الثُرَيَّا راحَةٌ تَشْبُرُ الدُّجى

لتعلمَ طالَ اللَّيلُ لي أَم تعرَّضا

لتعلمَ طالَ اللَّيلُ لي أَم تعرَّضا

As though the Pleiades were a palm measuring the darkness in handspans,

As if Pleiades were a carpet that spread darkness

To learn whether the night had lengthened for me or widened.

To know did the night grow long for me or pass quickly

عَجِبْتُ لِلَيلٍ بينَ شَرْقٍ ومَغرِبٍ

عَجِبْتُ لِلَيلٍ بينَ شَرْقٍ ومَغرِبٍ

يُقاسُ بشِبرٍ كيفَ يُرجَى له انْقِضا

يُقاسُ بشِبرٍ كيفَ يُرجَى له انْقِضا

I marveled at a night between east and west,

I marveled at the night between east and west

Measured by a handspan—how can one hope for it to end?

Measured by a handspan - how can its end be hoped for