اللَيْلُ يا صاحِبَيَّ مُنْطَلِقُ

اللَيْلُ يا صاحِبَيَّ مُنْطَلِقُ

يُقادُ زَحْفاً وما بِهِ رَمَقُ

يُقادُ زَحْفاً وما بِهِ رَمَقُ

Night, my two companions, is departing,

The night, my companion, sets out

led away at a crawl, with no breath of life left.

Marching without vigor or resolve

غَمِض دونَ الغُروبِ كَوْكَبُهُ

غَمِض دونَ الغُروبِ كَوْكَبُهُ

إِذْ شَفَّهُ طُولَ لَيْلِهِ الأَرَقُ

إِذْ شَفَّهُ طُولَ لَيْلِهِ الأَرَقُ

Its star closed its eye before setting,

Its star winked shut

for sleeplessness had worn it down throughout its night.

As the long night robbed it of sleep

ورَقَّ جدّاً رِدَاءُ ظُلْمَتِهِ

ورَقَّ جدّاً رِدَاءُ ظُلْمَتِهِ

فَهو على مَنْكِبِ الرُّبى خَلَقُ

فَهو على مَنْكِبِ الرُّبى خَلَقُ

And the robe of its darkness grew very thin,

Darkness drew its cloak tightly

so it lies threadbare on the shoulders of the hills.

Bearing the burden of night on its shoulders

تَأَمَّلا الغَرْبَ كَيْفَ ذَهَّبَهُ

تَأَمَّلا الغَرْبَ كَيْفَ ذَهَّبَهُ

شَرْقٌ بِتَوْريدِ فَجْرِهِ شَرِقُ

شَرْقٌ بِتَوْريدِ فَجْرِهِ شَرِقُ

Gaze, you two, at the west—how it is gilded

Look how the west has taken it away

by an east radiant with its dawn's rosy flush.

As the dawn teased with its rising sun

واصْطبِحَاها عَلى مُفَوَّفةٍ

واصْطبِحَاها عَلى مُفَوَّفةٍ

باتَ لَها بِالقُطَارِ مُغْتَبَقُ

باتَ لَها بِالقُطَارِ مُغْتَبَقُ

And drink it at dawn beside a many-colored expanse,

And surprised it with a greeting

whose evening draught was rain the whole night through:

After keeping it company with the stars all night

رَوْضٌ غَريق ومزْنَة ضَحِكَتْ

رَوْضٌ غَريق ومزْنَة ضَحِكَتْ

عَنْ أُفُقٍ بِالبُروقِ يَحْتَرِقُ

عَنْ أُفُقٍ بِالبُروقِ يَحْتَرِقُ

a drowned garden, and a raincloud that smiled,

A meadow laughed fully saturated

revealing a horizon ablaze with lightning.

At a horizon flaming with lightning

ولَيْسَ لِلْقَرِّ غَيْرَ صافِيَةٍ

ولَيْسَ لِلْقَرِّ غَيْرَ صافِيَةٍ

تَدْفَعُ ما لَيْسَ يَدْفَعُ الدَّلَقُ

تَدْفَعُ ما لَيْسَ يَدْفَعُ الدَّلَقُ

And against the cold there is nothing but clear wine,

The bottle has nothing left but purity

which wards off what marten fur cannot:

To dispel what the manufacturer cannot

دُرْياقُ أَفْعى الشِّتاءِ وهو إِذا

دُرْياقُ أَفْعى الشِّتاءِ وهو إِذا

سَلَّ عَلَيْنا سُيوفَهُ دَرِقُ

سَلَّ عَلَيْنا سُيوفَهُ دَرِقُ

antidote to winter's viper, and—when

A coat of mail against the serpent of winter

it draws its swords against us—shields.

When it unsheathes its swords upon us

وعَصْفَرَتْ راحَةُ المُديرِ كَما

وعَصْفَرَتْ راحَةُ المُديرِ كَما

عَصْفَرَ جَيْبَ الدُّجُنَّةِ الشَّفَقُ

عَصْفَرَ جَيْبَ الدُّجُنَّةِ الشَّفَقُ

And the cupbearer's palm turned safflower-yellow, as

And the palm of the caretaker yellowed

the afterglow dyed the bosom of darkness.

Like the pocket of the young maiden at dusk

جازَتْ مَدى الفِكْرِ في الصَّفاءِ فَلَو

جازَتْ مَدى الفِكْرِ في الصَّفاءِ فَلَو

مازَجَها الوَهْمُ مَسَّها رَنَقُ

مازَجَها الوَهْمُ مَسَّها رَنَقُ

It surpassed thought's reach in clarity; so if

Thought exceeded the horizons of clarity so if

imagination mingled with it, cloudiness would touch it.

Illusion did not mix with it, it would have choked