وَلَيلَةٍand a night قَدindeed بِتُّهاI spent it
وَلَيلَةٍ قَد بِتُّها
لَمdid not أَدرِknow فيهاduring it ماwhat السِنَهdrowsiness
لَم أَدرِ فيها ما السِنَه
And a night I spent—
And a night when I passed it
in which I knew not what drowsiness was.
I did not know in it what year it was
سَيِّئَةٌwretched ماnot تَرَكَتit left
سَيِّئَةٌ ما تَرَكَت
لِلدَهرِfor Time عِنديin my eyes حَسَنَهa good deed
لِلدَهرِ عِندي حَسَنَه
A wretched night that left
Evil it was, it left
no good deed to Time's credit in my eyes.
For time with me no good thing
طالَتit dragged on فَكَمso how many قَدindeed دارَrevolved فيwithin
طالَت فَكَم قَد دارَ في
هاit مِنof فُصولِseasons of الأَزمِنَهthe times
ها مِن فُصولِ الأَزمِنَه
It dragged on—how many revolved within
Long it was, so how much did pass in it
it, of the seasons of time!
Of the seasons of time
قَدَّرتُهاI reckoned it اليَومَthe day الَّذيwhich
قَدَّرتُها اليَومَ الَّذي
مِقدارُهُits measure أَلفُa thousand سَنَهyear
مِقدارُهُ أَلفُ سَنَه
I reckoned it to be the day whose
I reckoned it the day
measure is a thousand years.
Whose measure is a thousand years