فَلَم أَرَ مَنزولاً بِهِ بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ

فَلَم أَرَ مَنزولاً بِهِ بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ

أَلَذَّ قِرىً لَولا الَّذي قَد نُحاذِرُه

أَلَذَّ قِرىً لَولا الَّذي قَد نُحاذِرُه

I never saw a lodging, visited after a spell of sleep,

I saw no dwelling after nightfall

More delightful in hospitality—were it not for what we feared.

More pleasant, were it not for what we fear.

أُحاذِرُ بَوّابَينِ قَد وُكِّلا بِها

أُحاذِرُ بَوّابَينِ قَد وُكِّلا بِها

وَأَسمَرَ مِن ساجٍ تَإِطُّ مَسامِرُه

وَأَسمَرَ مِن ساجٍ تَإِطُّ مَسامِرُه

I fear two gatekeepers assigned to watch over her,

I fear the guards assigned to watch it

And a dark-brown door of teak whose nails creak.

With their polished mail and spears.

فَقُلتُ لَها كَيفَ النُزولِ فَإِنَّني

فَقُلتُ لَها كَيفَ النُزولِ فَإِنَّني

أَرى اللَيلَ قَد وَلّى وَصَوَّتَ طائِرُه

أَرى اللَيلَ قَد وَلّى وَصَوَّتَ طائِرُه

So I said to her: How can I get down? For I

I asked her, "How do we get in?"

See that night has passed, and its bird has called.

For night was fading and dawn cooed like a dove.

فَقالَت أَقاليدُ الرِتاجَينِ عِندَهُ

فَقالَت أَقاليدُ الرِتاجَينِ عِندَهُ

وَطَهمانُ بِالأَبوابِ كَيفَ تُساوِرُه

وَطَهمانُ بِالأَبوابِ كَيفَ تُساوِرُه

She said: The keys to both great doors are with him,

She said, "The keys are with the chamberlains,

And Tahman is at the gates—how will you assail him?

And eunuchs stand guard at the doors.

أَبِالسَيفِ أَم كَيفَ التَسَنّي لِموثَقٍ

أَبِالسَيفِ أَم كَيفَ التَسَنّي لِموثَقٍ

عَلَيهِ رَقيبٌ دائِبُ اللَيلِ ساهِرُه

عَلَيهِ رَقيبٌ دائِبُ اللَيلِ ساهِرُه

With a sword? Or how can you get through a secured gate,

Shall we force entry with swords?

With a guard over it, tireless and awake all night?

Or gently pick the locks, though a vigilant guard keeps watch?"

فَقُلتُ اِبتَغي مِن غَيرِ ذاكَ مَحالَةً

فَقُلتُ اِبتَغي مِن غَيرِ ذاكَ مَحالَةً

وَلِلأَمرِ هَيئاتٌ تُصابُ مَصادِرُه

وَلِلأَمرِ هَيئاتٌ تُصابُ مَصادِرُه

So I said: Seek a stratagem other than that;

I said, "Seek some other way,

And a matter has methods by which its ways out are found.

For affairs have means to unlock their secrets."

لَعَلَّ الَّذي أَصعَدتِني أَن يَرُدَّني

لَعَلَّ الَّذي أَصعَدتِني أَن يَرُدَّني

إِلى الأَرضِ إِن لَم يَقدِرِ الحَينَ قادِرُه

إِلى الأَرضِ إِن لَم يَقدِرِ الحَينَ قادِرُه

Perhaps what you brought me up by will bring me back

Perhaps He who lifted me up will let me down

To earth, if death's ordainer has not decreed it.

To earth, if the time is not ripe for His decree.

فَجاءَت بِأَسبابٍ طِوالٍ وَأَشرَفَت

فَجاءَت بِأَسبابٍ طِوالٍ وَأَشرَفَت

قَسيمَةُ ذي زَورٍ مَخوفٍ تَراتِرُه

قَسيمَةُ ذي زَورٍ مَخوفٍ تَراتِرُه

So she came with long ropes, and looking down was

So she brought long ropes and leaned

A beauty belonging to a mighty man whose stirrings were feared.

A frightening scaling-ladder with concealed rungs.

أَخَذتُ بِأَطرافِ الحِبالِ وَإِنَّما

أَخَذتُ بِأَطرافِ الحِبالِ وَإِنَّما

عَلى اللَهِ مِن عَوصِ الأُمورِ مَياسِرُه

عَلى اللَهِ مِن عَوصِ الأُمورِ مَياسِرُه

I grasped the ends of the ropes; and indeed,

I grasped the ropes, though the course of events

With God alone lies the easing of tangled affairs.

Rests with God, who smoothes the difficult paths.

فَقُلتُ اِقعُدا إِنَّ القِيامَ مَزَلَّةٌ

فَقُلتُ اِقعُدا إِنَّ القِيامَ مَزَلَّةٌ

وَشُدّا مَعاً بِالحَبلِ إِنّي مُخاطِرُه

وَشُدّا مَعاً بِالحَبلِ إِنّي مُخاطِرُه

So I said: Sit down, both of you—standing invites a slip;

I said, "Sit, for standing is dangerous,

And hold the rope fast together; I am taking my chance with it.

And tie the ropes tight, though I risk my neck."

إِذا قُلتُ قَد نِلتُ البَلاطَ تَذَبذَبَت

إِذا قُلتُ قَد نِلتُ البَلاطَ تَذَبذَبَت

حِبالِيَ في نيقٍ مَخوفٍ مَخاصِرُه

حِبالِيَ في نيقٍ مَخوفٍ مَخاصِرُه

Whenever I said, 'I have reached the pavement,' they swayed—

When I said I had reached the floor,

My ropes, on a pinnacle whose flanks were fearsome,

My ropes shook on a fearful, tottering pole,

مُنيفٍ تَرى العِقبانَ تَقصُرُ دونَهُ

مُنيفٍ تَرى العِقبانَ تَقصُرُ دونَهُ

وَدونَ كُبَيداتِ السَماءِ مَناظِرُه

وَدونَ كُبَيداتِ السَماءِ مَناظِرُه

So lofty that you see eagles fall short of it,

Set up tall as vultures seem small from it

And its lookouts lie beneath the very heart of heaven.

And small seem the stars in the sky seen from it.

فَلَمّا اِستَوَت رِجلايَ في الأَرضِ نادَتا

فَلَمّا اِستَوَت رِجلايَ في الأَرضِ نادَتا

أَحَيٌّ يُرَجّى أَم قَتيلٍ نُحاذِرُه

أَحَيٌّ يُرَجّى أَم قَتيلٍ نُحاذِرُه

When my feet stood firmly on the ground, the two called:

When my feet touched the ground, they asked,

Alive, as we hope—or slain, as we fear?

"Are you alive and safe or one we should mourn?"

فَقُلتُ اِرفَعا الأَسبابَ لا يَشعُروا بِنا

فَقُلتُ اِرفَعا الأَسبابَ لا يَشعُروا بِنا

وَوَلَّيتُ في أَعجازِ لَيلٍ أُبادِرُه

وَوَلَّيتُ في أَعجازِ لَيلٍ أُبادِرُه

So I said: Lift up the ropes, both of you, so they do not notice us.

I said, "Remove the ropes lest anyone notice!"

And I turned away at the tail end of night, racing against it.

And I slipped away into the darkness of night.

هُما دَلَّتاني مِن ثَمانينَ قامَةً

هُما دَلَّتاني مِن ثَمانينَ قامَةً

كَما اِنقَضَّ بازٍ أَقتَمُ الريشِ كاسِرُه

كَما اِنقَضَّ بازٍ أَقتَمُ الريشِ كاسِرُه

The two of them had lowered me from eighty man-heights,

With their guidance I dropped eighty cubits

As a dusky-plumed hawk swoops with its wings folded.

As an eagle with darkest feathers swoops down.

فَأَصبَحتُ في القَومِ الجُلوسِ وَأَصبَحَت

فَأَصبَحتُ في القَومِ الجُلوسِ وَأَصبَحَت

مُغَلَّقَةً دوني عَلَيها دَساكِرُه

مُغَلَّقَةً دوني عَلَيها دَساكِرُه

So at dawn I was among the seated company, while

In the morning I sat with the tribe, while guards

His palaces were locked around her, shutting me out.

Were locked outside, unable to enter.