في لَيلِ وَصلٍ كَلَيلِ الهَجرِ لَم يُنِرِ

في لَيلِ وَصلٍ كَلَيلِ الهَجرِ لَم يُنِرِ

وَلا صَفا بَل وَمَلآنٌ مِنَ الكَدَرِ

وَلا صَفا بَل وَمَلآنٌ مِنَ الكَدَرِ

In a night of union, like a night of estrangement, no light shone,

In a night of union like the night of separation, no light shone

Nor was it clear; rather, it was full of vexation:

Nor clarity, but filled with gloominess

مِنَ الرَقيبِ مِنَ الغَيرانِ مِن حَدَقٍ

مِنَ الرَقيبِ مِنَ الغَيرانِ مِن حَدَقٍ

مِنَ النُجومِ وَلا أَنسَى مِنَ القِصَرِ

مِنَ النُجومِ وَلا أَنسَى مِنَ القِصَرِ

From the watcher, from the jealous one, from the eyes

From the watcher, from the changing fortunes, from the eyelids

Of the stars—and I do not forget its brevity.

From the stars, and I cannot forget the palace

تَقَدَّمَ الوَقتَ فيهِ الوَقتُ مِن عَتَمٍ

تَقَدَّمَ الوَقتَ فيهِ الوَقتُ مِن عَتَمٍ

بِلا عِشاءٍ وَمِن صُبحٍ بِلا سَحَرِ

بِلا عِشاءٍ وَمِن صُبحٍ بِلا سَحَرِ

Within it, time outran time: deep darkness

Time advanced in it, time without dinner

Without evening, and dawn without predawn hours.

Without supper and without dawn’s first light

كَخافِقِ الآلِ لَم تَبُرُد بِهِ غُلَلي

كَخافِقِ الآلِ لَم تَبُرُد بِهِ غُلَلي

وَخاطِفِ البَرقِ لَم يُمتَع بِهِ بَصَري

وَخاطِفِ البَرقِ لَم يُمتَع بِهِ بَصَري

Like a shimmering mirage that did not cool my burning thirst,

Like the fluttering flags, my shackles were not cooled by it

And a lightning flash that gave my sight no delight.

And the flashing lightning did not delight my sight

وَأَنتَ يا ذَيلَ لَيلِ الوَصلِ تَخطُبُ لي

وَأَنتَ يا ذَيلَ لَيلِ الوَصلِ تَخطُبُ لي

مِنَ العَشاءِ وَلَيلُ الهَجرِ في حَصَرِ

مِنَ العَشاءِ وَلَيلُ الهَجرِ في حَصَرِ

And you, O tail of the night of union, address me

And you, O end of the night of union, procure for me

From suppertime onward, while the night of estrangement is tongue-tied.

Supper while the night of separation is confined

لَيتَ الدَياجي عَلى الآفاقِ مُقفَلَةٌ

لَيتَ الدَياجي عَلى الآفاقِ مُقفَلَةٌ

فَلا تُفَضُّ عَنِ الأَسحارِ وَالبُكَرِ

فَلا تُفَضُّ عَنِ الأَسحارِ وَالبُكَرِ

Would that the dark nights were locked over the horizons,

If only the clouds over the horizons were locked

So they would not be unsealed to reveal predawn hours and early mornings.

So they would not open for the last hours of night and dawn

وَلَيتَ أَغرِبَةً لِلبَينِ ما وَقَعَت

وَلَيتَ أَغرِبَةً لِلبَينِ ما وَقَعَت

وَلَيتَ أَغرِبَةً لِلَّيلِ لَم تَصِرِ

وَلَيتَ أَغرِبَةً لِلَّيلِ لَم تَصِرِ

And would that the ravens of parting had not alighted,

And if only I were a stranger to separation when it occurred

And would that ravens had not come to belong to the night,

And if only I were a stranger to the night, unaware

وَصَدَّ صَقرُ الدُجى بازِيَّ صُبحَتِها

وَصَدَّ صَقرُ الدُجى بازِيَّ صُبحَتِها

يَنقَضُّ خَلفَ بُغاثِ الأَنجُمِ الزُهُرِ

يَنقَضُّ خَلفَ بُغاثِ الأَنجُمِ الزُهُرِ

And that the falcon of darkness had repelled the hawk of their morning,

The falcon of darkness hunted at the morning’s first glow

Swooping after the feeble birds—the shining stars.

Pouncing behind the scattered stars’ radiant flowers