ياO رُبّmany a ليلٍnight أشتهيI long for لباسهْits garment
يا رُبّ ليلٍ أشتهي لباسهْ
قدindeed عطّرَperfumed الوصلُunion لناfor us أنفاسَهْits breaths
قد عطّرَ الوصلُ لنا أنفاسَهْ
Ah, many a night whose mantle I long for!
O Lord of the night whose garment I yearn for
Union has perfumed its breath for us.
The union has perfumed our breath for us
لمdid not يلبثِlinger النجمُthe star بهin it أنto حاسَهْroamed through it
لم يلبثِ النجمُ به أن حاسَهْ
دعِleave امرأَImru’ القيسِal-Qays ودَعْand leave أمراسَهْhis ropes
دعِ امرأَ القيسِ ودَعْ أمراسَهْ
The star did not linger there before roaming through it.
The star did not take long therein to feel it
Leave Imru’ al-Qays aside, and leave his ropes.
Leave the man of Qays and leave his poem
فرfled الهلاُthe crescent (uncertain reading) سُرعةًswiftly قدalready قاسهْgauged it
فر الهلاُ سُرعةً قد قاسهْ
كالبرقِlike lightning حينwhen يُسرِعُhastens اختِلاسَهْsnatching it away
كالبرقِ حين يُسرِعُ اختِلاسَهْ
The crescent [reading uncertain] fled swiftly, having gauged it.
The new moon fled swiftly having felt it
Like lightning when it hastens to snatch it away,
Like lightning when it hastens its theft
منكِّساًlowering نحوtoward الثريّاthe Pleiades راسَهْits head
منكِّساً نحو الثريّا راسَهْ
هلdo ...? تعرفُyou recognize العُرْجونَthe date-bunch stalk والكباسَهْand the bunch of dates
هل تعرفُ العُرْجونَ والكباسَهْ
Lowering its head toward the Pleiades.
Bowing its head towards the Pleiades
Do you recognize the date stalk and the bunch of dates?
Do you know the limper and his lameness?