ياO لَيْلةًa night قَدْhad كَساهاclothed it النُّورُthe light سِربالاa robe
يا لَيْلةً قَدْ كَساها النُّورُ سِربالا
جَرَرْتُI trailed فِيهاin it لِبُرْدِof the mantle الأُنْسِof fellowship أذْيالاhems
جَرَرْتُ فِيها لِبُرْدِ الأُنْسِ أذْيالا
O night that light had clothed in a robe,
O night clothed in light like a flowing robe
in which I trailed the hems of fellowship's mantle,
In which I dragged the hem of companionship's cold
إذwhen مَعْطفيmy flank للصِّباin youth لَدْنُsupple المَهزَّةِin swaying إنْif
إذ مَعْطفي للصِّبا لَدْنُ المَهزَّةِ إنْ
هَبَّتblew صَباًan east wind هبَّit stirred أوor مالَswayed الصِّباyouth مَالاit swayed
هَبَّت صَباً هبَّ أو مالَ الصِّبا مَالا
when my youthful frame was supple in its sway: if
My coat to the gusts of youth readily given
an east wind blew, it stirred; or if youth swayed, it swayed.
If morning breeze blew or the breeze of youth inclined
وإذْand when رياضُthe gardens المُنَىof wishes تُجْلَىare unveiled زَواهِرُهاtheir splendors
وإذْ رياضُ المُنَى تُجْلَى زَواهِرُها
قدalready أُلْبِسَتْwere clothed مِنfrom حُلىthe ornaments أزهارهاof their flowers خَالاa fine robe
قد أُلْبِسَتْ مِن حُلى أزهارها خَالا
And when the gardens of wishes displayed their splendors,
And pleasure gardens bared their blooms
clad in a fine robe of their flowers' adornments,
Adorned with the jewelry of their flowers
بحيثُwhere أجْريI run مَعَwith اللَّذّاتِpleasures فيin طَلَقٍfreedom
بحيثُ أجْري مَعَ اللَّذّاتِ في طَلَقٍ
وأنْثنيand I sway فيin بُرُودِrobes اللَّهوِof revelry مُخْتالاstrutting proudly
وأنْثني في بُرُودِ اللَّهوِ مُخْتالا
where I ran freely alongside pleasures,
I sauntered enjoying pleasures freely
and swayed proudly in the robes of revelry.
And bent with the coolness of play, swaggering
يالَيلةًO night ماnot رأتْهاsaw it عَيْنُan eye شائِبةٍof impurity
يالَيلةً ما رأتْها عَيْنُ شائِبةٍ
قدindeed أشْكَلَتْproved baffling لِصُروفِto the vicissitudes الدَّهرِof time إشْكالاutter perplexity
قد أشْكَلَتْ لِصُروفِ الدَّهرِ إشْكالا
O night that no eye of impurity had beheld,
O night no blemished eye has seen
it utterly baffled the vicissitudes of time.
Perplexed by the turns of fate, problems amassing
تَخَلّصَتْwas freed عنfrom قَذىmotes شَوْبٍof impurity خُلاصَتُهاits pure essence
تَخَلّصَتْ عن قَذى شَوْبٍ خُلاصَتُها
تَخالُهاyou would deem it فيon مُحيَّاthe face دَهرِهاof its age خَالاa beauty mark
تَخالُها في مُحيَّا دَهرِها خَالا
Its essence was freed of the motes of impurity;
Free of any speck, pure its essence
you would deem it a beauty mark on the face of its age.
Alone in an era of loss, pure and unsullied
راقَتْwere pleasing محاسِنُbeauties إذْas رقَّتgrew gentle شمائلُناour dispositions
راقَتْ محاسِنُ إذْ رقَّت شمائلُنا
والحالُand the state تَحْسُنُgrows fair إمَّاwhen ناسَبَتْaccorded with حَالاanother state
والحالُ تَحْسُنُ إمَّا ناسَبَتْ حَالا
Beauties delighted as our dispositions grew gentle,
Charms shone radiant as our qualities gentled
and a state grows fair when it accords with another state.
Situations improve when well matched to states
ليلa night أعارlent شعورthe hair الغيدof graceful women حلكتهits blackness
ليل أعار شعور الغيد حلكته
وزرَّand buttoned on منfrom وَضَحِthe radiance الوَجناتof cheeks سربالاa robe
وزرَّ من وَضَحِ الوَجنات سربالا
A night that lent its blackness to the hair of graceful women,
Night lent melancholic songs its resonance
and buttoned on a robe of the radiance of cheeks.
And from the gardens' clarity donned attire
باتتremained all night لِحاظُthe glances الأمانيof hopes فيهِin it تَلْحَظُناgaze at us
باتت لِحاظُ الأماني فيهِ تَلْحَظُنا
أمْناًin safety وأغْفىand dozed off رقيبُthe watchman الدَّهرِof time إغْفالاheedlessly
أمْناً وأغْفى رقيبُ الدَّهرِ إغْفالا
All night, the glances of hopes gazed at us within it,
Sleep's harbors observed us secured
in safety, while time's watchman dozed off, heedless.
As time's guard slumbered, forgot his role
بِتْناwe spent the night مِنَfrom الأُنسِfellowship فيin نَعْماءَbliss تَشْمَلُناembraces us
بِتْنا مِنَ الأُنسِ في نَعْماءَ تَشْمَلُنا
فيin صُحْبَةٍcompany سَحَبَتْtrailed لِلْحُسنِof beauty أذْيالاhems
في صُحْبَةٍ سَحَبَتْ لِلْحُسنِ أذْيالا
We spent the night in fellowship's bliss, which embraced us,
We slept, comfort covering us
in company that trailed the hems of beauty,
In company whose beauty trailed garments
فيamong فِتْيَةٍyouths حُلوةِsweet الأخْلاقِin character حالِيَةٍadorned
في فِتْيَةٍ حُلوةِ الأخْلاقِ حالِيَةٍ
ذَويpossessing حَواشٍmanners رِقاقٍgentle رُقْنَwere delightful أحْوالاin disposition
ذَوي حَواشٍ رِقاقٍ رُقْنَ أحْوالا
among youths of sweet character, adorned with grace,
Of sweet natured youths, refined and gentle
possessed of gentle manners, delightful in disposition.
We passed cups of affection, pure essences
نُديرُwe pass round للوُدِّfor affection كاساتٍcups مُمَحَّضةًunalloyed
نُديرُ للوُدِّ كاساتٍ مُمَحَّضةً
بِحَيثُwhere نَجْنيwe gather جَنىthe fruit الأسْمارof night-time talk أنْقالاas tidbits
بِحَيثُ نَجْني جَنى الأسْمار أنْقالا
We passed round cups of unalloyed affection,
And plucked fruits of joy, hopes gathering
where we gathered the fruit of night-time talk as tidbits.
Our wine pourer obeyed our cheer
وباتَand spent the night ساقِيthe cupbearer الحُمَيَّاof strong wine طَوْعَobedient to سَلْوَتِناour diversion
وباتَ ساقِي الحُمَيَّا طَوْعَ سَلْوَتِنا
يُديرُhe passes round بالرَّاحِwith the palms راحاًwine دَرُّهاits milk سَالاflowed
يُديرُ بالرَّاحِ راحاً دَرُّها سَالا
And the cupbearer of strong wine spent the night at our pleasure's bidding,
Whirling breezes, their stream an outpouring
passing wine round with his palms, its milk flowing freely.
His sharp spear saluted night's sentry
قدhad سَلَّdrawn صارِمَa keen blade رُمْحٍof a spear مِنْfrom سُلافَتِهِhis choice wine
قد سَلَّ صارِمَ رُمْحٍ مِنْ سُلافَتِهِ
بهِwith it علىagainst حَبَشيِّthe Abyssinian اللَّيلِof night قَدْhad صالاcharged
بهِ على حَبَشيِّ اللَّيلِ قَدْ صالا
He had drawn a spear's keen blade from his choice wine,
As it glistened wet with dew, dripping
with which he charged against the Abyssinian night.
Her radiance softened, like pure gold and idol
صَفْراءُyellow wine رقَّتْgrew delicate وراقَتْand grew lovely جَوْهراًin substance وَسناًand radiance
صَفْراءُ رقَّتْ وراقَتْ جَوْهراً وَسناً
قَدْhad راضَtamed أحْوالَهاits moods التَّثقيفُrefinement أحْوالاfor years
قَدْ راضَ أحْوالَها التَّثقيفُ أحْوالا
Yellow wine, delicate and lovely in substance and radiance,
Her manners gentled by our courtship's grace
whose moods refinement had tamed over years.
When by our hands her veil was torn away
إمَّاwhenever هَتَكْناwe tore بِكَفِّwith the hand المَزجِof mixing سُتْرَتَهاits veil
إمَّا هَتَكْنا بِكَفِّ المَزجِ سُتْرَتَها
أرْخَتْlet down لَناfor us دُونَagainst صَرْفِunalloyed الهَمِّgrief أحْجالاbridal canopies
أرْخَتْ لَنا دُونَ صَرْفِ الهَمِّ أحْجالا
Whenever we tore its veil with the hand of mixing,
She surrendered her figure minus modesty's veil
it let down bridal canopies for us against unalloyed grief.
With her we enjoyed the gardens of companionship
بِتْناwe spent the night بِهاwith it منamid رِياضِthe gardens الأنسِof fellowship فيin دَعَةٍease
بِتْنا بِها من رِياضِ الأنسِ في دَعَةٍ
نَجْنيwe pluck قُطوفَfruit-clusters الأمانيof wishes مِنُهfrom it آمَالاhopes
نَجْني قُطوفَ الأماني مِنُه آمَالا
With it, we spent the night at ease amid the gardens of fellowship,
Plucking wishes' fruits, collecting hopes
plucking hopes from it—the fruit-clusters of wishes.
Until the crescent hid in the east discretely
إلىuntil أنِthat أسْتدبرَturned its back on الشَّرْقَthe east الهِلالُthe crescent moon سُرىًtraveling by night
إلى أنِ أسْتدبرَ الشَّرْقَ الهِلالُ سُرىً
عنهُaway from it ولبَّىand answered دُعاءَthe call الغَربِof the west إهْلالاwith acclamation
عنهُ ولبَّى دُعاءَ الغَربِ إهْلالا
Until the crescent, traveling by night, turned its back on the east,
And responded to the west's call to set
away from it, and answered the west's call with acclamation.
Dawn arrived with the army of morning
وأقْبلَand advanced الصُّبحُthe dawn فيamid جَيْشِthe army الصّباof the east wind مَلِكاًas a king
وأقْبلَ الصُّبحُ في جَيْشِ الصّبا مَلِكاً
عَنَتْbowed لَهُto him سُرْبَةُthe troop الظَّلماءِof darkness إجْلالاin reverence
عَنَتْ لَهُ سُرْبَةُ الظَّلماءِ إجْلالا
And dawn advanced as a king amid the east wind's army;
As night's darkness revered its supremacy
the troop of darkness bowed to him in reverence.
As though the night were an Abyssinian, now free
كأنَّماas though اللَّيلُthe night زنجِيٌّa Zanj man غَداbecame نَهِلاًsated with drink
كأنَّما اللَّيلُ زنجِيٌّ غَدا نَهِلاً
فيin حُمْرَةٍredness مِنْfrom سَناthe radiance الإصْباحِof dawn فاخْتالاand then strutted
في حُمْرَةٍ مِنْ سَنا الإصْباحِ فاخْتالا
As though night were a Zanj man, now sated with drink,
Mixing in the redness of dawn, blending qualities
in redness from dawn's glow, then strutting proudly.
As though the horizon were a cup of still night
كأنَّماas though الأُفْقُthe horizon كأسٌa cup لِلدُّجاof darkness جَمَدتْhad frozen
كأنَّما الأُفْقُ كأسٌ لِلدُّجا جَمَدتْ
بِحَيثُwhere ذابَmelted ضِياءُthe radiance الصُّبحِof dawn جِريالاwine's crimson hue
بِحَيثُ ذابَ ضِياءُ الصُّبحِ جِريالا
As though the horizon were a cup of darkness that had frozen,
Where daylight's brilliance melted fluidly
where dawn's radiance melted into wine's crimson hue.
O excellent night of companionship that swelled
ياO حُسْنَهاits beauty لَيْلَةًa night للأنْسِwith fellowship قَدْindeed ثَمِلَتْgrew drunk
يا حُسْنَها لَيْلَةً للأنْسِ قَدْ ثَمِلَتْ
مِنْfrom عِشْقِهاlove for it اصْفَرَّتِturned yellow الأيَّامُthe days آصالاin late afternoons
مِنْ عِشْقِها اصْفَرَّتِ الأيَّامُ آصالا
How lovely a night, grown drunk with fellowship!
With passion for it, the days yellowed and withered
For love of it, the days turned yellow in the late afternoons.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.