لَبِسنا رِداءَ اللَيلِ وَاللَيلُ راضِعٌ

لَبِسنا رِداءَ اللَيلِ وَاللَيلُ راضِعٌ

إِلى أَن تَرَدّى رَأسُهُ بِمَشيبِ

إِلى أَن تَرَدّى رَأسُهُ بِمَشيبِ

We donned the cloak of night while night was still a suckling infant,

We wore the cloak of night while night still suckled

until its head was mantled in gray hair.

Until it bowed its head with hoary hair

وَبِتنا كَغُصنَي بانَةٍ عابَثَتهُما

وَبِتنا كَغُصنَي بانَةٍ عابَثَتهُما

إِلى الصُبحِ ريحا شَمأَلٍ وَجَنوبِ

إِلى الصُبحِ ريحا شَمأَلٍ وَجَنوبِ

And we spent the night like two branches of a bān tree, toyed with

And we spent the night like two entwined branches

until dawn by the north and south winds,

Swayed by the morning breeze, north and south

بِحالٍ تُرَدُّ الحاسِدينَ بِغَيظِهِم

بِحالٍ تُرَدُّ الحاسِدينَ بِغَيظِهِم

وَتَطرِفُ عَنّا عَينَ كُلِّ رَقيبِ

وَتَطرِفُ عَنّا عَينَ كُلِّ رَقيبِ

in a state that drove the envious back in their rage

In a state that thwarts the envious with anger

and turned every watcher's eye away from us,

And turns from us the eye of every watcher

إِلى أَن بَدا ضَوءُ الصَباحِ كَأَنَّهُ

إِلى أَن بَدا ضَوءُ الصَباحِ كَأَنَّهُ

مَبادي نُصولٍ في عِذارِ خَضيبِ

مَبادي نُصولٍ في عِذارِ خَضيبِ

until the morning light appeared, as though it were

Until dawn's light appeared as though it were

the first signs of fading dye in dyed sideburns.

The flashing blades of warriors in dusty armor

فَيا لَيلُ قَد فارَقتَ غَيرَ مُذَمِّمٍ

فَيا لَيلُ قَد فارَقتَ غَيرَ مُذَمِّمٍ

وَيا صُبحُ قَد أَقبَلتَ غَيرَ حَبيبِ

وَيا صُبحُ قَد أَقبَلتَ غَيرَ حَبيبِ

So, O night, you have departed without reproach,

O night, you left without causing any harm

and O dawn, you have come, unloved.

And morning comes, no lover in its midst