هلis there سبيلٌa way إلىto تقاصُرِthe shortening of ليلٍa night
هل سبيلٌ إلى تقاصُرِ ليلٍ
غابَwas absent عنيfrom me الحُسينُal-Husayn فيهin it فَطَالاand so it grew long
غابَ عني الحُسينُ فيه فَطَالا
Is there a way to shorten a night
In which al-Husayn was absent from me, and so it grew long?
وصَلَتْنيjoined me بهin it طوارقُnight visitations هَمٍّsorrow
وصَلَتْني به طوارقُ هَمٍّ
أَعدَمَتنيdeprived me منof السرورِjoy مَنالاany share
أَعدَمَتني من السرورِ مَنالا
In it, night-visiting sorrows joined me—
Depriving me of any share of joy—
بنديمٍto a boon companion يواصلُmaintains الصَّمتَsilence لاَdoes not يسask (first part of split word)
بنديمٍ يواصلُ الصَّمتَ لاَ يس
ألُask (completion of split word) عنَّاabout us ولاand does not يُجيبُanswer سؤالاa question
ألُ عنَّا ولا يُجيبُ سؤالا
To a boon companion who stays silent, never
Asking after us or answering a question.
فكأنيso it is as though I مُنادِمٌam drinking with منهin him لولاwere it not for
فكأني مُنادِمٌ منه لولا
حركاتٌmovements منfrom جِسْمِهhis body تِمثالاa statue
حركاتٌ من جِسْمِه تِمثالا
So I seem to be drinking with—were it not for
His body's movements—a statue.