وَتَنوفَةٍ مَد الضَمير قَطَعتها
وَاللَيل فَوقَ آكامها يَتَرَبع
The path of longing has cut across a meadow,
And the night sits enthroned above its slopes.
لَيل يَمُدُّ دُجاه دونَ صَباحه
آمال ذي الحرص الَّذي لا يَقنَع
A night that extends its darkness without dawn,
The hopes of one insatiate that is never content.
باتَت كَواكبه تَحوط بَقاءه
في كُلِ أُفق مِنهُ نجم يَلمَع
Its stars encircle its survival,
In every horizon a star glitters bright.
زَهرٌ يُثير عَلى الصَباح طَلائِعاً
حَولَ السَماء فَهُنَّ حَسرى ضلع
A blossom that stirs the dawn’s vanguards about the sky,
Where they are ribs of yearning in sighs.
مُتَيَقِظات في المَسير كَأَنَّها
باتَت تُناجي بِالَّذي يَتَوَقع
Awakened in their course as though they had
Spent the night whispering to the expected one.
وَالصُبح يَرقب مِن دُجاه غُرة
مُتَضائل مِن سحقه يَتَطَلَع
And the dawn watches from its darkness for the surprise
Of its rise, diminished, aspiring from its crushing.
مُتَنَفِّساً فيهِ جِناناً واهِنا
في كُل لَحظة ساعة يَتَشَجَع
Breathing lightly in it, gardens and meadows faint,
In every moment an hour it emboldens itself.
حَتّى اِنزَوى اللَيل البَهيم لِضوئِهِ
وَقد اِستَجابَ ظَلامه يَتَقَشَع
Until the savage night withdrew before its light,
And its darkness responded being shredded.
وَبَدَت كَواكبه حَيارى فيهِ لا
تَدري بِوَشك زيالها ما تَصنَع
And its stars appeared confused in it, not knowing
In their setting, what they should do.
مُتهادِلات النور في آفاقِها
مُستَعبِرات في الدُجى تَستَرجع
Competing in light in their horizons,
Recovering in the gloom what they had lost.
وَكَواكب الجَوزاء تَبسط باعَها
لِتُعانق الظَلماء وَهِيَ تَودع
And Virgo’s stars spread out their hands
To embrace the darkness while taking leave.
وَكَأَنَّها في الجَو نَعش أَخي بِلى
يَبكي وَيوقف تارة وَيَشيع
As though a bier of my brother worn in the air
Weeping, stopping at times, being escorted.
وَكَأَنَّما الشعرى العبور وَراءَها
ثَكلى لَها دَمعٌ غَزير يهمع
As though Scorpio behind it were a copious tear
That gushes for it lamenting.
وَبَنات نَعشٍ قَد بَرَزنَ حَواسِراً
قَدامها أَخواتهنّ الأَربع
And daughters of the bier had come out tearful,
Before them their four sisters.
عَبرى هَتَكنَ قِناعهن عَلى الدُجى
جَزَعاً وَآلت بَعدُ لا تَتَقنع
They rent their veils in grief over the darkness
Inconsolable afterwards, they would not be consoled.
وَكانَ أفقاً مِن تَلألئ نَجمِهِ
عِندَ اِفتِقاد اللَيل عَينٌ تَدمَع
And from the loss of its star it had been a horizon
When the night missed it, an eye that tears.
وَالفَجر في صَفوِ الهَواء مَورد
مَل المدامة في الزُجاج تَشَعشَع
And the dawn in the purity of the air a reservoir
Full like wine in glass scintillating.
يا لَيل ما لَكَ لا تَغيب كَواكِباً
زَفراتها وَجداً عَلَيكَ تَقطع
O night why do you not set, stars
Whose sighs over you bitterly torment.
لَو أَنَّ لي بِضياء صُبحك طاقة
يا لَيل كُنتُ أَوده لا يَسطَع
If I had the power of your dawn,
O night, I would ruin it, it would not shine.
حَذراً عَلَيك وَلَو قَدرت بِحيلَتي
جرعته الغصص الَّتي تَتَجَرع
Beware of me, even if I could by my cunning
Make it taste the anguish you taste.
يا صُبح هاكَ شَبيبتي فافتك بِها
وَدَع الدُجى بِسوادِهِ يَتَمَتع
O dawn here is my youth, so redeem it
And leave the darkness to enjoy its blackness.
أَفقدتَني أُنسي بِأَنجُمِها الَّتي
أَصبَحَت مِن فَقدي لَها أَتَوجَع
You have deprived me of my companion stars
That from losing them I am in agony.
