هو الليل ما لليل من صبوةٍ بدّ

هو الليل ما لليل من صبوةٍ بدّ

ولا لشجون الليل عن مهجتي ردّ

ولا لشجون الليل عن مهجتي ردّ

It is night; the night has no escape from passionate longing,

It is the night, but the night has no morning freshness

Nor can the night's sorrows be kept from my heart.

Nor do the sorrows of the night have any effect on my inner self

توهجت الحمّى وثار شرارها

توهجت الحمّى وثار شرارها

وفي أضلع المحموم من نارها وقد

وفي أضلع المحموم من نارها وقد

The fever flared, and its sparks rose,

The fever has flared up and its flames have roared

And within the fevered one's ribs, its fire blazes.

And from its fire, the ribs of the feverish one have caught flame

أصابرها حيناً وحينا أصدّها

أصابرها حيناً وحينا أصدّها

بعزمة مشبوب الفؤاد فتنصدّ

بعزمة مشبوب الفؤاد فتنصدّ

I withstand it a while, and at times repel it,

Sometimes I endure it and sometimes I drive it back

With the resolve of one whose heart is aflame, so it recoils.

With a will that has a flaming heart, so it bounces back

تعجبت للحمّى تزور جوانحي

تعجبت للحمّى تزور جوانحي

وليس لها عندي إذا وفدت ورد

وليس لها عندي إذا وفدت ورد

I marvelled at the fever visiting my breast,

I'm amazed that the fever visits my being

Yet when it arrives, there is no water here for it to drink.

Yet when it comes to visit, it has no flowers from me

أتأكل نارا وهي نار ولم تكن

أتأكل نارا وهي نار ولم تكن

بأخطر مني حين تطغى وتشتدّ

بأخطر مني حين تطغى وتشتدّ

Does it devour fire, though it is fire itself and has not been

It eats fire while it's itself fire, and it has not been

More dangerous than I when it rages and grows fierce?

More dangerous than I when it exceeds and intensifies

إلى مهدك المشئوم عودي ذميمة

إلى مهدك المشئوم عودي ذميمة

فما لك في بيتي على رحبه مهد

فما لك في بيتي على رحبه مهد

Return to your ill-omened cradle, loathsome one;

Return, o spiteful one, to your ill-omened cradle

For in my house, spacious though it is, there is no cradle for you.

For you have no place to spread your cradle in my abode

أتمسى ضلوعي طعمة لغريمة

أتمسى ضلوعي طعمة لغريمة

طفيلية يضرى بها الأسد الورد

طفيلية يضرى بها الأسد الورد

Are my ribs to become food for a foe—

Do you wish my ribs to be a morsel for an enemy

A parasite that rouses the tawny lion to fury?

A parasitic germ that hurts even the most gentle lion

وهل مات بالحمى الغضنفر مرة

وهل مات بالحمى الغضنفر مرة

وفي كل يوم من لظاها له عهد

وفي كل يوم من لظاها له عهد

And has the mighty lion ever died of fever,

Has the formidable one ever died of fever

Though every day he is acquainted with its blaze?

While he faces its severity every single day

توقد عينيه لهول أوارها

توقد عينيه لهول أوارها

فتنفر خوفا من أذاه وترتد

فتنفر خوفا من أذاه وترتد

It sets his eyes ablaze with its terrifying heat,

It makes his eyes blaze because of its flames

Then it flees in fear of harm from him, and retreats.

So they shrink back, scared of its harm and turn away

خذي الدرس يا حمّى خذيه وأقلعي

خذي الدرس يا حمّى خذيه وأقلعي

ولا ترجعي إني إذا عدت قد أعدو

ولا ترجعي إني إذا عدت قد أعدو

Take the lesson, O fever—take it, and desist;

Take the lesson, o fever, take it and desist

And do not return: indeed, if you return, I may attack.

And do not return, if you return, I have prepared

سأعدو وللعدوان مني عواقبٌ

سأعدو وللعدوان مني عواقبٌ

يصاولها الحصن الأشمّ فينهدّ

يصاولها الحصن الأشمّ فينهدّ

I shall attack, and my assault has consequences:

I will prepare, and my preparations have consequences

The towering fortress grapples with them, then collapses.

That will make the most mighty citadel collapse