وَلَيلٍ لَنا قَد جازَ في طولِهِ القَدرا

كَشَفنا لَهُ عَن وَجهِ قَينَتِنا الخِدرا

And many a night of ours had exceeded all bounds in its length,

Until we unveiled the face of our songstress before it,

فَوَلّى بِرُعبٍ قَبلَ وَقتِ انتِصافِهِ

كَأَنّا أَلَحنا عِندَ ذاكَ لَهُ الفَجرا

So it turned away in terror before reaching its midpoint,

As if we had flashed the break of dawn before it at that moment,

وَأَقبَلَ صُبحٌ قَبلَ وَقتِ مَجيئهِ

فَأَدبَرَ مَرعوباً وَقَد كُسِيَ الذُعرا

And a morning approached before the time of its arrival,

So the night retreated in fright, draped in panic,

وَظَنَّ بِأَنَّ اللَهَ أَحدَثَ بَعدَهُ

ضِياءً مُنيراً أَو قَضى بَعدَهُ أَمرا

Thinking that God had brought forth, in its wake,

A luminous light, or had decreed a new command,

فَبِتنا بِلا لَيلٍ وَقُمنا بِلا ضُحىً

كَأَنّا نَصَبناها لِذاكَ وَذا سِحرا

So we passed the night without darkness, and rose without a forenoon,

As if we had set her up as an enchantment for both.