هكذاthus الليلُthe night منfrom الشوlonging (opening fragment)
هكذا الليلُ من الشو
قِlonging (closing fragment) ملاًweariness (uncertain reading) كيفَhow النهارُthe day
قِ ملاً كيفَ النهارُ
Such is the night from longing,
Thus the night in longing is full
wearisome—what, then, of the day?
How can daytime flee the gloom?
فإلىthen to أينwhere منfrom الإظلاdarkness (opening fragment)
فإلى أين من الإظلا
مِdarkness (closing fragment) والصبحِand dawn الفِرارُescape
مِ والصبحِ الفِرارُ
Then where, from darkness
To where does dawn escape
and dawn, is there escape?
From darkness and the morning bloom?
أيطيبُcan it be sweet? العيشُlife فيin الدنthe world (opening fragment)
أيطيبُ العيشُ في الدن
ياworld (closing fragment) وفيand in الأحشاءِthe entrails نارُa fire
يا وفي الأحشاءِ نارُ
Can life be sweet in the world,
How can life be sweet on earth
with a fire in the entrails?
When in our hearts there burns a fire?
كيفَhow يمسيfares at evening منone whom جفاهُhe shunned him
كيفَ يمسي من جفاهُ
أحسنُhandsomest الناسِthe people القدارُthe butcher
أحسنُ الناسِ القدارُ
How fares at evening one shunned by
How can one feel nothing within
the butcher, the handsomest of people?
When blessed with life's desire?