سرى والليلُ ممتدُّ الرِّواقِ

سرى والليلُ ممتدُّ الرِّواقِ

وحادي النجمِ محلولُ النّطاقِ

وحادي النجمِ محلولُ النّطاقِ

It journeyed by night, while night’s canopy stretched wide,

The night stretched long, the corridors whispered on,

And the stars’ camel-driver’s girdle was unfastened;

And the loosened stars wandered in the dark.

خيالٌ في الظلام أتى خيالا

خيالٌ في الظلام أتى خيالا

كِلا جسميهما نِضو اشتياقِ

كِلا جسميهما نِضو اشتياقِ

A phantom came to a phantom in the darkness,

A vision came to me in the gloom - another vision -

Both their bodies worn thin by longing.

Both our bodies craving each other's touch.

فذادَهُما الدّموعُ عن التشاكي

فذادَهُما الدّموعُ عن التشاكي

وصدَّهما النّحولُ عن العِناقِ

وصدَّهما النّحولُ عن العِناقِ

So tears kept them from lamenting to each other,

But the tears we wept kept us from embracing

And emaciation barred them from embracing.

And our very gauntness restrained us from hugging.

ولو لم يُطفِئا بالدمع نارا

ولو لم يُطفِئا بالدمع نارا

من الزّفَرات همّا باحتراقِ

من الزّفَرات همّا باحتراقِ

And had they not quenched with tears a fire

Had we not quenched with tears the fires burning

Born of sighs, they would have been on the verge of burning.

In our panting breasts, we'd have burst into flame.

كأنّ بوادرَ العبراتِ خيلٌ

كأنّ بوادرَ العبراتِ خيلٌ

مضمَّرةٌ تَجارى في السباقِ

مضمَّرةٌ تَجارى في السباقِ

As though the first gushes of tears were horses,

It was as though the tears we shed were cavalry

Lean and trained, racing one another in the race.

Thundering down the field in a wild race.

ولم يستمتعا بالوَصلِ حتى

ولم يستمتعا بالوَصلِ حتى

أنارَ الفجرُ يُؤذنُ بالفراقِ

أنارَ الفجرُ يُؤذنُ بالفراقِ

And they had not yet savored their union when

We hardly had time to enjoy being together

Dawn shone, heralding separation.

Before dawn lit the sky, heralding our parting.

كأنّهما أنا وفتى سعيدٍ

كأنّهما أنا وفتى سعيدٍ

أبو حزمٍ تمنّينا التّلاقي

أبو حزمٍ تمنّينا التّلاقي

As though they were I and Sa'id’s young man,

It was as though we were I and a joyful Sa'id -

Abu Hazm—we wished to meet.

Abu Hazim - who longed so much to meet.