رُبَّ ليلٍ قطعتُهُ بصدودٍ

رُبَّ ليلٍ قطعتُهُ بصدودٍ

وفراق ما كان فيه وَداعُ

وفراق ما كان فيه وَداعُ

Many a night I spent in estrangement

Many a night I spent awake, separated

and parting in which there was no farewell.

From one whose parting brought no farewell.

مُوحِشٍ كالثقيل تقذى به الع

مُوحِشٍ كالثقيل تقذى به الع

ين وتأبى حديثَهُ الأسماع

ين وتأبى حديثَهُ الأسماع

Desolate, like a bore who irritates the

So lonesome it weighed upon my eyes that refused

eye, and whose talk the ears reject.

To hear the words he would tell.

وكأنَّ النجوم بين دُجاه

وكأنَّ النجوم بين دُجاه

سُنَنٌ لاحَ بينهُنَّ ابتداع

سُنَنٌ لاحَ بينهُنَّ ابتداع

And as though the stars amid its darkness

As if the stars in their darkness

were traditions among which an innovation appeared.

Were traditions with no innovations between them.

مُشرِقاتٌ كأنهنّ حِجاجٌ

مُشرِقاتٌ كأنهنّ حِجاجٌ

تقطع الخصمَ والظلامُ انقطاع

تقطع الخصمَ والظلامُ انقطاع

Radiant, as though they were arguments

Bright ones appearing like pilgrims

that silence the opponent, while darkness is speechlessness.

Cutting through the shadows until the darkness ceases.

وكأنّ السماء خَيمَةُ وَشيٍ

وكأنّ السماء خَيمَةُ وَشيٍ

وكأنّ الجوزاء فيها شراع

وكأنّ الجوزاء فيها شراع

And as though the sky were a tent of brocade,

As if the sky were a tent for shepherds

and as though al-Jawza within it were a sail.

And the Pleiades a sail within.

كانّ ليلاً فصيرته نهاراً

كانّ ليلاً فصيرته نهاراً

كُتُبٌ تَكبِتُ العدى ورقاع

كُتُبٌ تَكبِتُ العدى ورقاع

It was night; then it was turned into day

I made the night into day

by writings and notes that humble the foes.

Books overcoming enemies and parchments.