لمقليهِ لَيلٌ لَهُ مِن هُمُومِهِ

دُجاهُ وَمِن وَجدٍ تَضَمَّنَ دائِمُه

For the afflicted, the night has sorrows of its own,

Its darkness and constant grief envelop him.

كَأَنَّ سَوادَ الشَّوقِ جَيشٌ مُدَرَّعٌ

تَريَّثَ فيهِ خَوفَ صُبحٍ يُهاجِمُه

As if the blackness of yearning were an armored army

That lingered in wait for the assault of dawn.

وَأَبطأَ عَنهُ الصُّبحُ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ

رَأى مِن سَوادِ اللَّيل ما لا يُقاوِمُه

The dawn was late in coming, as though

It saw in the night's darkness what it could not withstand.

تَجاوَبُ فيهِ وُرقُهُ فَكَأَنَّها

تَبُثُّ حَديثاً بِالنَّهارِ تُكاتِمُه

Its leaves whisper as if

Sharing secrets with the day that it keeps hidden.

كَأَنَّ سَوادَ اللَّيلِ ماتَ صَباحُهُ

فَقامَت عَلَيهِ بِالرِّثاءِ حَمَائِمُه

As if the night's darkness died at dawn

And its doves performed the elegy.