وَلَيل نَصرت الغَيَّ فيهِ عَلى الرُشد

وَلَيل نَصرت الغَيَّ فيهِ عَلى الرُشد

وَأَعدَيتُ فيهِ الهَزَلَ منّي عَلى الجَد

وَأَعدَيتُ فيهِ الهَزَلَ منّي عَلى الجَد

And a night when I championed waywardness over sound judgment,

A night in which I prevailed over frivolity with wisdom,

And in it I aided my levity against earnestness,

And I set aside jesting from me for seriousness.

وَضيقّت فيهِ مِن عِناق مُعانِقي

وَضيقّت فيهِ مِن عِناق مُعانِقي

فَظَنَ وشاتي أَنَّني نائم وَحدي

فَظَنَ وشاتي أَنَّني نائم وَحدي

And in it I held the one embracing me so tightly

My lover's embrace was narrowed in it,

That my tale-bearers thought I was asleep alone,

So my companion thought I was sleeping alone.

إِلى أَن تَجلّى الصُبح مِن خَلَل الدُجى

إِلى أَن تَجلّى الصُبح مِن خَلَل الدُجى

كَما اِنَخَرَطَ السَيف اليَماني مِن الغمد

كَما اِنَخَرَطَ السَيف اليَماني مِن الغمد

Until dawn shone through the gaps in the darkness,

Until dawn broke through the darkness

Like a Yemeni sword slipping from its sheath.

As the Yemeni sword slid out of its scabbard.