طالَ الحَديثُ عَلَيكُم أَيُّها السَمَرُ

وَلاحَ لِلنَومِ في أَجفانِكُم أَثَرُ

The talk grew long upon you, O ye who pass the night in converse;

And in your eyelids sleep could find no home at all;

وَذَلِكَ اللَيلُ قَد ضاعَت رَواحِلُهُ

فَلَيسَ يُرجى لَهُ مِن بَعدِها سَفَرُ

And the night now is past, its stages gone forever,

So that continued wakefulness is hopeless afterwards;

هَذي مَضاجِعُكُم يا قَومُ فَاِلتَقِطوا

طيبَ الكَرى بِعُيونٍ شابَها السَهَرُ

Your resting places, O people! catch then pleasant sleep

With eyes that ever night-watching has kept open;

هَل يُنكِرُ النَومُ جَفنٌ لَو أُتيحَ لَهُ

إِلّا أَنا وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ وَالقَمَرُ

Will any eye reject sleep if 'twere offered,

Save mine, and yonder stars, and the passing moon?

أَبيتُ أَسأَلُ نَفسي كَيفَ قاطَعَني

هَذا الصَديقُ وَما لي عَنهُ مُصطَبَرُ

Long did I question self how this dear friend could leave me—

He from whom I ne'er looked for such estrangement;

فَما مُطَوَّقَةٌ قَد نالَها شَرَكٌ

عِندَ الغُروبِ إِلَيهِ ساقَها القَدَرُ

And lo! a sandgrouse in a trap entangled

At sunset to its fate by destiny was brought;

باتَت تُجاهِدُ هَمّاً وَهيَ آبِسَةٌ

مِنَ النَجاةِ وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ مُعتَكِرُ

All night it strove with cares, heart-rent and anxious

For its escape, while night's wings overshadowed;

وَباتَ زُغلولُها في وَكرِها فَزِعاً

مُرَوَّعاً لِرُجوعِ الأُمِّ يَنتَظِرُ

And in his hole her young one all night trembling

Lay, fearful for the mother's coming, waiting;

يُحَفِّزُ الخَوفُ أَحشاهُ وَتُزعِجُهُ

إِذا سَرَت نَسمَةٌ أَو وَسوَسَ الشَجَرُ

Fear stirred his vitals, everything alarmed him,

The breeze's breathing or the whispering branches;

مِنّي بِأَسوَأَ حالاً حينَ قاطَعَني

هَذا الصَديقُ فَهَلّا كانَ يَدَّكِرُ

Worse is my case than his when my friend left me—

Would he had ne'er forgot me! Shall I make excuse?

يا اِبنَ الكِرامِ أَتَنسى أَنَّني رَجُلٌ

لِظِلِّ جاهِكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ مُفتَقِرُ

O generous youth, canst thou forget I am a man

Dependent, after Allah, on thy favour?

إِنّي فَتاكَ فَلا تَقطَع مُواصَلَتي

هَبني جَنَيتُ فَقُل لي كَيفَ أَعتَذِرُ

I am a warrior, do not break with me,

Turn to me, slave am I—how shall I make amends?