لَستُ بِناسٍ لَيلَةً

لَستُ بِناسٍ لَيلَةً

مِن رَمَضانَ مَرَّتِ

مِن رَمَضانَ مَرَّتِ

I am not one to forget a night

I'm not one on a Ramadan night

that passed in Ramadan.

Whose length ever competed with this night's

تَطاوَلَت مِثلَ لَيا

تَطاوَلَت مِثلَ لَيا

لي القُطبِ وَاِكفَهَرَّتِ

لي القُطبِ وَاِكفَهَرَّتِ

It stretched out like the nights

When I slipped away from my friends and entered my room

at the pole, and grew gloomy.

I looked in the Diwan of a poet or the Sirat of a biography

إِذِ اِنفَلَتُّ مِن سُحو

إِذِ اِنفَلَتُّ مِن سُحو

ري فَدَخَلتُ حُجرَتي

ري فَدَخَلتُ حُجرَتي

When I slipped away from my pre-dawn

But nothing attracted me except the sound of the cat on the prowl

meal and entered my room,

So I started to listen in the rooms and bedrooms

أَنظُرُ في ديوانِ شِع،

أَنظُرُ في ديوانِ شِع،

،رٍ أَو كِتابِ سيرَةِ

،رٍ أَو كِتابِ سيرَةِ

looking through a collection of

Until I found the one who had snuck up on me

poetry, or a book of biography,

Since she appeared before me and our gazes met

فَلَم يَرُعني غَيرَ صَو

فَلَم يَرُعني غَيرَ صَو

تٍ كَمُواءِ الهِرَّةِ

تٍ كَمُواءِ الهِرَّةِ

nothing startled me but a sound

The ashes of her eyes returned like embers

like the mewing of a cat.

And she let out her meows like a tomcat in wasteland

فَقُمتُ أَلقي السَمعَ في

فَقُمتُ أَلقي السَمعَ في

السُتورِ وَالأَسِرَّةِ

السُتورِ وَالأَسِرَّةِ

So I rose, lending an ear among

And from behind the curtain she wore for me the skin of a leopard

the curtains and the beds,

She turned away but like a still rock she fled

حَتّى ظَفِرتُ بِالَّتي

حَتّى ظَفِرتُ بِالَّتي

عَلَيَّ قَد تَجَرَّتِ

عَلَيَّ قَد تَجَرَّتِ

until I found the one

Her whiskers shook like the eye of a needle

who had dared to defy me.

And she raised a paw and waved her tail like a snake

فَمُذ بَدَت لي وَاِلتَقَت

فَمُذ بَدَت لي وَاِلتَقَت

نَظرَتُها وَنَظرَتي

نَظرَتُها وَنَظرَتي

And once she appeared to me and

Then she leapt from the roof and howled and fled

her gaze and mine met,

I didn't blame her for anger and wickedness

عادَ رَمادُ لَحظِها

عادَ رَمادُ لَحظِها

مِثلَ بَصيصِ الجَمرَةِ

مِثلَ بَصيصِ الجَمرَةِ

the ash of her glance became

Nor underestimate her weakness or forget my ability

like the glimmer of an ember.

I saw nothing but a mother caring for her children

وَرَدَّدَت فَحيحَها

وَرَدَّدَت فَحيحَها

كَحَنَشٍ بِقَفرَةِ

كَحَنَشٍ بِقَفرَةِ

And she kept repeating her hiss,

I saw what captures the soul of a poet in imagery

like a snake in a wasteland.

I saw the essence of motherhood in building a family

وَلَبِسَت لي مِن وَرا

وَلَبِسَت لي مِن وَرا

ءِ السِترِ جِلدَ النَمرَةِ

ءِ السِترِ جِلدَ النَمرَةِ

And she donned for me, from behind

So I stayed until her trembling calmed and she settled

the curtain, a she-leopard's skin.

I brought her a drink and a morsel

كَرَّت وَلَكِن كَالجَبا

كَرَّت وَلَكِن كَالجَبا

نِ قاعِداً وَفَرَّتِ

نِ قاعِداً وَفَرَّتِ

She charged, but like a coward

And I protected the sides of her bedding with my cloak

sitting still, and fled.

And I increased her warmth so I kindled my embers

وَاِنتَفَضَت شَوارِباً

وَاِنتَفَضَت شَوارِباً

عَن مِثلِ بَيتِ الإِبرَةِ

عَن مِثلِ بَيتِ الإِبرَةِ

And she shook out her whiskers

Had I found game I'd have brought her a mouse

from what looked like a needle-case.

So she lay under the shade of safety and stretched out

وَرَفَعت كَفّاً وَشا

وَرَفَعت كَفّاً وَشا

لَت ذَنَباً كَالمِذرَةِ

لَت ذَنَباً كَالمِذرَةِ

And she raised a paw and lifted

And she recited her devotions though she knew not what she uttered

a tail like a winnowing fork.

While the little ones suckled at her teats and she gently turned

ثُمَّ اِرتَقَت عَنِ المُوا

ثُمَّ اِرتَقَت عَنِ المُوا

ءِ فَعَوَت وَهَرَّتِ

ءِ فَعَوَت وَهَرَّتِ

Then she went beyond mewing,

Like chicks protected in the folds of her gown

and howled and growled.

They bumped into each other blindly around the meal

لَم أَجزِها بِشِرَّةٍ

لَم أَجزِها بِشِرَّةٍ

عَن غَضَبٍ وَشِرَّةِ

عَن غَضَبٍ وَشِرَّةِ

I did not repay her with ferocity

You'd think them frogs she'd sent hopping in a jar

for anger and ferocity.

And I said, no harm upon your child, my little neighbor

وَلا غَبيتُ ضَعفَها

وَلا غَبيتُ ضَعفَها

وَلا نَسيتُ قُدرَتي

وَلا نَسيتُ قُدرَتي

Nor did I fail to see her weakness,

Deliver five or ten if you wish

nor did I forget my strength.

You and your children will be protected in my vigil until they grow up

وَلا رَأَيتُ غَيرَ أُمٍّ

وَلا رَأَيتُ غَيرَ أُمٍّ

بِالبَنينَ بَرَّةِ

بِالبَنينَ بَرَّةِ

Nor did I see anything but a mother

devoted to her children.

رَأَيتُ ما يَعطِفُ نَفـ

رَأَيتُ ما يَعطِفُ نَفـ

ـسَ شاعِرٍ مِن صورَةِ

ـسَ شاعِرٍ مِن صورَةِ

I saw what moves the soul

of a poet in a scene.

رَأَيتُ جِدَّ الأُمَّها

رَأَيتُ جِدَّ الأُمَّها

تِ في بِناءِ الأُسرَةِ

تِ في بِناءِ الأُسرَةِ

I saw the earnestness of mothers

in building a family.

فَلَم أَزَل حَتّى اِطمَأَنَّ

فَلَم أَزَل حَتّى اِطمَأَنَّ

جَأشُها وَقَرَّتِ

جَأشُها وَقَرَّتِ

So I did not stop until

her heart grew calm and she settled.

أَتَيتُها بِشَربَةٍ

أَتَيتُها بِشَربَةٍ

وَجِئتُها بِكِسرَةِ

وَجِئتُها بِكِسرَةِ

I brought her a drink,

and came to her with a crust of bread.

وَصُنتُها مِن جانِبَي

وَصُنتُها مِن جانِبَي

مَرقَدِها بِسُترَتي

مَرقَدِها بِسُترَتي

And I sheltered her on both sides

of her bed with my coat.

وَزِدتُها الدِفءَ فَقَر

وَزِدتُها الدِفءَ فَقَر

رَبتُ لَها مِجمَرَتي

رَبتُ لَها مِجمَرَتي

And I gave her more warmth, bringing

my brazier close to her.

وَلَو وَجَدتُ مِصيَداً

وَلَو وَجَدتُ مِصيَداً

لَجِئتُها بِفَأرَةِ

لَجِئتُها بِفَأرَةِ

And had I found a trap,

I would have brought her a mouse.

فَاِضطَجَعَت تَحتَ ظِلا

فَاِضطَجَعَت تَحتَ ظِلا

لِ الأَمنِ وَاِسبَطَرَّتِ

لِ الأَمنِ وَاِسبَطَرَّتِ

Then she lay beneath the shade

of safety, and stretched herself out.

وَقَرَأَت أَورادَها

وَقَرَأَت أَورادَها

وَما دَرَت ما قَرَّتِ

وَما دَرَت ما قَرَّتِ

And she recited her litanies,

not knowing what she recited.

وَسَرَحَ الصِغارُ في

وَسَرَحَ الصِغارُ في

ثُدِيِّها فَدَرَّتِ

ثُدِيِّها فَدَرَّتِ

And the little ones roamed among

her teats, and her milk flowed.

غُرُّ نُجومٍ سُبَّحٌ

غُرُّ نُجومٍ سُبَّحٌ

في جَنَباتِ السُرَّةِ

في جَنَباتِ السُرَّةِ

Bright stars, swimming

around her navel.

اِختَلَطوا وَعَيَّثوا

اِختَلَطوا وَعَيَّثوا

كَالعُميِ حَولَ سُفرَةِ

كَالعُميِ حَولَ سُفرَةِ

They mingled and ran riot,

like the blind around a spread of food.

تَحسَبُهُم ضَفادِعاً

تَحسَبُهُم ضَفادِعاً

أَرسَلتَها في جَرَّةِ

أَرسَلتَها في جَرَّةِ

You would think them frogs

you had let loose in a jar.

وَقُلتُ لا بَأسَ عَلى

وَقُلتُ لا بَأسَ عَلى

طِفلِكِ يا جُوَيرَتي

طِفلِكِ يا جُوَيرَتي

And I said: “No harm shall come to

your little one, my little neighbor.

تَمَخَّضي عَن خَمسَةٍ

تَمَخَّضي عَن خَمسَةٍ

إِن شِئتِ أَو عَن عَشرَةِ

إِن شِئتِ أَو عَن عَشرَةِ

Give birth to five,

if you wish, or to ten.

أَنتِ وَأَولادُكِ حَـ

أَنتِ وَأَولادُكِ حَـ

ـتى يَكبُروا في خُفرَتي

ـتى يَكبُروا في خُفرَتي

You and your children,

until they grow up, are under my protection.”