وَذَكَّرَنيهِ البَدرُ وَاللَيلُ دونَهُ

وَذَكَّرَنيهِ البَدرُ وَاللَيلُ دونَهُ

فَباتَ بِحَدِّ الشَوقِ وَالصَبرِ يَلعَبُ

فَباتَ بِحَدِّ الشَوقِ وَالصَبرِ يَلعَبُ

The full moon recalled him to me, while night lay between us;

And the full moon reminded me of him, with night beneath it;

then spent the night toying with the edge of longing and patience—

So all night it toyed with the bounds of longing and patience,

كَذِكرى الحِمى وَالحَيِّ في مَنعَجِ اللَوى

كَذِكرى الحِمى وَالحَيِّ في مَنعَجِ اللَوى

وَذِكرُ الصِبا وَالرَأسُ أَخلَسُ أَشيَبُ

وَذِكرُ الصِبا وَالرَأسُ أَخلَسُ أَشيَبُ

like remembering the tribal preserve and the encampment at Manʿaj al-Liwā,

Like memories of the protected pasture and the tribe at Manʿaj al-Lawā,

and remembering youth when one’s head is gray-streaked and hoary.

And memories of youth, though my head is grizzled and gray.

فَأَزدادُ في جُنحِ الظَلامِ صَبابَةً

فَأَزدادُ في جُنحِ الظَلامِ صَبابَةً

فَلا صَعبَ إِلّا وَهوَ بِاللَيلِ أَصعَبُ

فَلا صَعبَ إِلّا وَهوَ بِاللَيلِ أَصعَبُ

So, beneath the wing of darkness, I grow more lovesick;

So under cover of darkness I grow more lovesick;

for nothing is hard but that, at night, it grows harder.

For nothing is hard that is not harder at night.