يا لَيْلَ هَجرِ الحَبيبِ طُلْتَ على

يا لَيْلَ هَجرِ الحَبيبِ طُلْتَ على

صبٍّ من الشوق دائمِ البَرحِ

صبٍّ من الشوق دائمِ البَرحِ

O night of separation from the beloved, you have grown long for

O night of the beloved's abandonment, you lingered

a lovesick soul in ceaseless torment from longing.

Upon a youth consumed by endless yearning

بِحُمْرَةٍ في الجُفُونِ تحسبها

بِحُمْرَةٍ في الجُفُونِ تحسبها

نَدَرْتُهَا في الفُؤادِ عَن جرحِ

نَدَرْتُهَا في الفُؤادِ عَن جرحِ

With redness in the eyelids that you would think

With reddened eyelids he mistakes for

I had drawn from a wound within the heart.

Rare tears shed in his heart from a wound

هل جَمدَ البحرُ من دجاكَ فما

هل جَمدَ البحرُ من دجاكَ فما

ينتقلُ الحوت فيه بالسّبْحِ

ينتقلُ الحوت فيه بالسّبْحِ

Has the sea frozen from your darkness, so that

Did the sea freeze because of your darkness, so

the Fish does not move through it by swimming?

The whale cannot swim across its expanse?

أم حدثَت حَيْرَةٌ مواصلة

أم حدثَت حَيْرَةٌ مواصلة

في الجوّ بَينَ البُطَيْنِ والنّطحِ

في الجوّ بَينَ البُطَيْنِ والنّطحِ

Or has an unceasing bewilderment arisen

Or has confusion persisted, unabated

in the sky between al-Butayn and al-Nath?

In the atmosphere between the duck and the goat?

لو كنت ليل الشبابِ بتّ إلى ال

لو كنت ليل الشبابِ بتّ إلى ال

صبحِ من الشيب طائرَ الجُنْحِ

صبحِ من الشيب طائرَ الجُنْحِ

Were you the night of youth, you would pass toward the

If only I were the night of youth that flees

dawn of gray hair on flying wings.

The morning of old age, swift of wing

لو كنت ليل الشبابِ فُتُّ ولم

لو كنت ليل الشبابِ فُتُّ ولم

تَدّرِكِ النّاظِرِينَ باللّمحِ

تَدّرِكِ النّاظِرِينَ باللّمحِ

Were you the night of youth, you would slip past and not

If only I were the night of youth, elusive

reach the onlookers even in a glance.

To beholders' glances in a glimpse

متى أرى كلكلاً بركت به

متى أرى كلكلاً بركت به

يَطْعَنُ فيه السِّماكُ بالرّمحِ

يَطْعَنُ فيه السِّماكُ بالرّمحِ

When shall I see the chest with which you have knelt

When will I see a partridge land

pierced by al-Simak with the spear?

With a fish the pike spears with its lance?

وللثّرَيا جناحُ قاطِعَةٍ

وللثّرَيا جناحُ قاطِعَةٍ

بالخفق منه مسافةَ الجُنحِ

بالخفق منه مسافةَ الجُنحِ

And the Pleiades have the wing of a bird that crosses

And a Pleiades whose wings can sever

the night's expanse with its wingbeats,

Distances by its flapping flight

وأشهبُ الصبح في إغارته

وأشهبُ الصبح في إغارته

يستاقُ ما للنّجومِ من سرحِ

يستاقُ ما للنّجومِ من سرحِ

and dawn's gray steed, in its charge,

Dawn's grayish glow in its raid

drives off the stars' grazing herd.

Herds what the stars have of dispersion

فاطوِ رواقَ الظّلامِ عن أُفُقٍ

فاطوِ رواقَ الظّلامِ عن أُفُقٍ

تُنْشَرُ فيه مُلاءَة الصبحِ

تُنْشَرُ فيه مُلاءَة الصبحِ

So fold back the canopy of darkness from a horizon

So unleash the courtyard of darkness on a horizon

where the sheet of dawn is spread.

Where the radiance of dawn is unfurled