رب ليلٍ طال لا صبح له

رب ليلٍ طال لا صبح له

ذي نجومٍ أقسمت أن لا تغور

ذي نجومٍ أقسمت أن لا تغور

Many a night stretched long, with no dawn to break it—

Many a night stretched on without a dawn,

Lord of a long night with no dawn

a night whose stars swore never to set.

With stars that swore never to set.

Of stars that swore not to set

قد هتكنا جنحه من فلقٍ

قد هتكنا جنحه من فلقٍ

من خمورٍ ووجوهٍ كالبدور

من خمورٍ ووجوهٍ كالبدور

We tore its darkness open with a daybreak

We tore open its darkness with a dawn

We have unfolded its wings from a cleft

of wines and faces like full moons,

Of wines and faces like full moons.

Of wine and faces like full moons

إذ بدت تشبهها في كأسها

إذ بدت تشبهها في كأسها

نار إبراهيم في بردٍ ونور

نار إبراهيم في بردٍ ونور

when there appeared, resembling it in its cup,

When it appeared in its cup, it was like

When in her cup appeared similar

Abraham’s fire—in coolness and light.

Abraham's fire in coolness and light.

To Abraham's fire in cold and light

صرعتنا إذ علونا ظهرها

صرعتنا إذ علونا ظهرها

في ميادين التصابي والسرور

في ميادين التصابي والسرور

It felled us just as we had mounted its back

It felled us when we mounted its back

It laid us low when we mounted its back

in the arenas of youthful abandon and delight.

In the arenas of youthful frolic and joy.

In fields of revelry and delight

وكأنا حين قمنا معشرٌ

وكأنا حين قمنا معشرٌ

نشروا بعد مماتٍ من قبور

نشروا بعد مماتٍ من قبور

And when we rose, it was as though we were a company

And when we rose, we seemed a company

And as if we, a group, when we rose

raised from their graves after death.

Raised after death from graves.

Spread after death from graves