ولما قضينا الليل إلا اقله

ولما قضينا الليل إلا اقله

ونحن كما شاءَ الهوى الغافل الغر

ونحن كما شاءَ الهوى الغافل الغر

And when we had spent all but a little of the night,

When the night was almost over,

while we were just as heedless, naïve love wished us to be,

And we were as love's heedlessness desired,

اتت أمها غضبي تقول لبنتها

اتت أمها غضبي تقول لبنتها

لكِ الويل مرَّ الليل وانبثق الفجر

لكِ الويل مرَّ الليل وانبثق الفجر

her mother came angrily, saying to her daughter:

Her mother came angrily, saying to her daughter:

“Woe to you! The night has passed, and dawn has broken.

"Woe to you! The night has passed and dawn emerged."

وقام ابوك الشيخ يطلب قهوةً

وقام ابوك الشيخ يطلب قهوةً

ويا ويحنا منه إذا هتك الستر

ويا ويحنا منه إذا هتك الستر

Your aged father has risen, asking for coffee,

And her old father got up seeking coffee,

and alas for us at his hands if he tears away the veil!”

Woe if he uncovers the secret!

فهبت ثريا وانتفضت مروعاً

فهبت ثريا وانتفضت مروعاً

كما انتفض العصفور بلله القطر

كما انتفض العصفور بلله القطر

Then Thurayya sprang up, and I shuddered, terrified,

So Thurayya panicked and shuddered,

as a sparrow shudders when the rain has soaked it.

As a sparrow shudders, drenched by the rain.

ولولا سعال ناب والدها لما

ولولا سعال ناب والدها لما

اختفى وطءُ اقدامي ولا خفي السر

اختفى وطءُ اقدامي ولا خفي السر

But for a cough that seized her father, neither

If it wasn't for her father's loud cough,

would my footfalls have gone unheard, nor would the secret have stayed hidden.

My footsteps would not have disappeared, nor the secret been hidden.

خرجت بلا قلب ومن غاب قلبه

خرجت بلا قلب ومن غاب قلبه

ولاقى الدواهي لا يلم به ذعر

ولاقى الدواهي لا يلم به ذعر

I left without a heart; and he whose heart is gone

I went out heartless, and he whose heart is absent,

and faces calamities is touched by no dread.

Meeting enemies, will not feel horror.

وسرت ومني للضحى الف لعنة

وسرت ومني للضحى الف لعنة

ومني لليلِ التلطف والشكر

ومني لليلِ التلطف والشكر

And I walked on, with a thousand curses for the morning,

I walked on, cursing the dawn a thousand times,

and tender regard and thanks for the night.

And thanking the night for its gentleness.

ألا ليت لا فجر لليل يضمنا

ألا ليت لا فجر لليل يضمنا

وليت اباها الشيخ يكثنه القبر

وليت اباها الشيخ يكثنه القبر

Ah, if only the night that embraces us had no dawn,

Oh, if only the night had no dawn to separate us,

and if only the grave would enshroud her aged father!

And if only her old father was in the grave!