ياO لَيلَتيmy night بِالكَرخِin al-Karkh دوميlast هَكَذاlike this
يا لَيلَتي بِالكَرخِ دومي هَكَذا
ياO لَيلَتيmy night لاdo not تَذهَبيgo لاdo not تَذهَبيgo
يا لَيلَتي لا تَذهَبي لا تَذهَبي
O my night in al-Karkh, last like this!
O my night in al-Karkh, always remain thus,
O my night, do not go, do not go!
O my night, do not go away, do not go away.
جاءَcame الرَسولُthe messenger مُبَشِّراًbringing glad tidings بِزِيارَةٍof a visit
جاءَ الرَسولُ مُبَشِّراً بِزِيارَةٍ
مِنfrom بَعدِafter طولِlength تَهَجُّرٍestrangement وَتَغَضُّبِand anger
مِن بَعدِ طولِ تَهَجُّرٍ وَتَغَضُّبِ
The messenger came, bringing glad tidings of a visit,
The messenger came with good news of a visit,
After long estrangement and anger.
After a long estrangement and displeasure.
وَبِكَفِّهِand in his palm تُفّاحَةٌan apple قَدalready مُسِّكَتwas scented with musk
وَبِكَفِّهِ تُفّاحَةٌ قَد مُسِّكَت
آثارُmarks عَضَّتِهاthe bite in it كَقَرنَيlike the two horns of عَقرَبِa scorpion
آثارُ عَضَّتِها كَقَرنَي عَقرَبِ
And in his palm was an apple that had been scented with musk,
In his palm an apple he held,
The bite marks on it like a scorpion’s two horns.
The marks of his bite like scorpion claws.