طالَ لَيلى وَبِتُّ كَالمَجنونِ

طالَ لَيلى وَبِتُّ كَالمَجنونِ

وَاِعتَرَتني الهُمومُ بِالماطِرونِ

وَاِعتَرَتني الهُمومُ بِالماطِرونِ

My night grew long, and I spent it like a madman.

Long was my night, and I remained sleepless as a madman,

And cares assailed me at al-Matirun.

And sorrows assaulted me like heavy rains.

صاحِ حَيّا الإِلهُ أَهلاً وَدوراً

صاحِ حَيّا الإِلهُ أَهلاً وَدوراً

عِندَ أَصلِ القَناةِ مِن جَيرونِ

عِندَ أَصلِ القَناةِ مِن جَيرونِ

Friend, may God bless the folk and dwellings

Greetings, O God, to the family and the dwellings

at the head of the canal in Jayrun,

At the origin of the canal from Jairoun.

عَن يَسارٍ إِذا دَخَلتُ مِنَ البا

عَن يَسارٍ إِذا دَخَلتُ مِنَ البا

بِ وَإِن كُنتُ خارِجاً بِيَميني

بِ وَإِن كُنتُ خارِجاً بِيَميني

on the left when I enter through the gate,

When I enter a door on the left,

and on my right if I am going out.

Even though I exit through the right,

فَبِتِلكَ اِغتَرَبتُ في الشَأمِ حَتّى

فَبِتِلكَ اِغتَرَبتُ في الشَأمِ حَتّى

ظَنَّ أَهلي مُرَجَّماتِ الظُنونِ

ظَنَّ أَهلي مُرَجَّماتِ الظُنونِ

So for her sake I lived away from home in Syria, until

I became a stranger in Syria until

my family entertained groundless conjectures.

My family imagined confused thoughts.

وَهيَ زَهراءُ مِثلُ لُؤلُؤَةِ الغَوّ

وَهيَ زَهراءُ مِثلُ لُؤلُؤَةِ الغَوّ

اصِ ميزَت مِن جَوهَرِ مَكنونِ

اصِ ميزَت مِن جَوهَرِ مَكنونِ

And she is radiant, like a diver's pearl,

She is like a pearl taken out

selected from hidden gems.

From a concealed essence.

وَإِذا ما نَسَبتُها لَم تجِدها

وَإِذا ما نَسَبتُها لَم تجِدها

في سَناءٍ مِنَ المَكارِمِ دوني

في سَناءٍ مِنَ المَكارِمِ دوني

And when I trace her lineage, you will not find her

And if I attribute her noble qualities,

beneath me in the lofty glory of noble virtues.

I will not find her equal among the virtuous.

ثُمَّ دافَعتُها إِلى القُبَّةِ الخَضراءِ

ثُمَّ دافَعتُها إِلى القُبَّةِ الخَضراءِ

نَمشي في مَرمَرٍ مَسنونِ

نَمشي في مَرمَرٍ مَسنونِ

Then I guided her to the green dome,

Then I took her to a green dome

as we walked over polished marble—

Where we walked on marble and gold.

قُبَّةٍ مِن مَراجِلٍ ضَرَبَتها

قُبَّةٍ مِن مَراجِلٍ ضَرَبَتها

عِندَ حَدِّ الشِتاءِ في القَيطونِ

عِندَ حَدِّ الشِتاءِ في القَيطونِ

a dome of patterned cloth that she had pitched

A dome of bricks built

at winter's onset in the inner chamber.

At the onset of winter in Qaytoon.

تَجعَلُ النَدَّ وَالأُلُوَّةَ وَالمِس

تَجعَلُ النَدَّ وَالأُلُوَّةَ وَالمِس

كَ صِلاءً لَها عَلى الكانونِ

كَ صِلاءً لَها عَلى الكانونِ

She puts blended incense, aloeswood, and musk

It makes dew, flags, and torches

on the brazier as fuel for her warmth.

Like prayers for it in December.

وَقِبابٍ قَد أُشرِجَت وَبُيوتٍ

وَقِبابٍ قَد أُشرِجَت وَبُيوتٍ

نُطِّقَت بِالرَيحانِ وَالزَرجونِ

نُطِّقَت بِالرَيحانِ وَالزَرجونِ

And pavilions fastened together, and dwellings

Domes were erected and houses

girdled with sweet basil and grapevines.

Adorned with basil and marjoram.

ثُمَّ فارَقتُها عَلى خَيرِ ما كا

ثُمَّ فارَقتُها عَلى خَيرِ ما كا

نَ قَرينٌ مُفارِقاً لِقَرينِ

نَ قَرينٌ مُفارِقاً لِقَرينِ

Then I parted from her on the best terms

Then I parted with her in the best state

on which one companion ever parted from another.

That a companion parts with a companion.

وَبَكَت خَشيَةَ التَفَرُّقِ لِلبَي

وَبَكَت خَشيَةَ التَفَرُّقِ لِلبَي

نِ بُكاءَ الحَزينِ نَحوَ الحَزينِ

نِ بُكاءَ الحَزينِ نَحوَ الحَزينِ

And she wept at parting, fearing separation,

She cried fearing the separation

as one sorrowful person weeps for another.

The crying of the sorrowful toward the sorrowful.

فَاِسأَلي عَن تَذَكُّري وَاِكتِئابي

فَاِسأَلي عَن تَذَكُّري وَاِكتِئابي

لِإيابي إِذا هُمُ عَذَلوني

لِإيابي إِذا هُمُ عَذَلوني

So ask about my recollections and my dejection

Ask about my remembrance and sadness

on my return, when they reproached me.

For my return when they rebuked me.

وَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذا تَطاوَلَ سُقمى

وَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذا تَطاوَلَ سُقمى

وَتَقَلَّبتُ لَيلَتي في فُنونِ

وَتَقَلَّبتُ لَيلَتي في فُنونِ

And indeed I said, when my sickness lingered

I said, when my illness was prolonged

and I tossed through the night in changing states:

And my night tossed and turned in discontent,

لَيتَ شِعري أَمِن هَوىً طارَ نَومي

لَيتَ شِعري أَمِن هَوىً طارَ نَومي

أَم بَراني الباري قَصيرَ الجُفونِ

أَم بَراني الباري قَصيرَ الجُفونِ

Would that I knew: has love made my sleep take flight,

I wish I knew: did love steal my sleep?

or did the Creator fashion me with short eyelids?

Or did the Creator deprive me, of little rest?