وَأَظلَمتَ حينَ لَبِستَ السَوا

وَأَظلَمتَ حينَ لَبِستَ السَوا

دَ ظَلامَ الدُجى لَم يَسِر راكِبُه

دَ ظَلامَ الدُجى لَم يَسِر راكِبُه

And you grew dark when you donned black—

You darkened when you wore the black,

dark as night, in which no rider traveled.

Darkness of night that cannot be traversed.

وَلَمّا حَضَرنا لِإِذنِ الوَزيـ

وَلَمّا حَضَرنا لِإِذنِ الوَزيـ

ـرِ وَقَد رُفِعَ السِترُ أَو جانِبُه

ـرِ وَقَد رُفِعَ السِترُ أَو جانِبُه

And when we came to seek the minister's permission,

And when we came to bid the minister farewell,

with the curtain—or one side of it—already raised,

The veil was lifted or set aside,

ظَلِلنا نُرَجِّمُ فيكَ الظُنونَ

ظَلِلنا نُرَجِّمُ فيكَ الظُنونَ

أَحاجِمُهُ أَنتَ أَم حاجِبُه

أَحاجِمُهُ أَنتَ أَم حاجِبُه

We kept making guesses about you:

We lingered, guessing about you -

Are you his cupper or his chamberlain?

Were you frowning or raising your eyebrows?