أَلاَAh يَاO لَيْلُnight لَيْلَnight of الفصْلِparting
أَلاَ يَا لَيْلُ لَيْلَ الفصْلِ
يَاO مُبْتَسِمَsmiling الزَّهْرِthe blossoms
يَا مُبْتَسِمَ الزَّهْرِ
Ah, O night, night of parting,
Oh night, night of the season
O you whose blossoms smile!
Smiling with flowers
بَلَغْنَاwe reached خَالِصِينَfreed إِلَيْكَto you
بَلَغْنَا خَالِصِينَ إِلَيْكَ
مِنْfrom حَرْبٍa war بِلاَwithout فَخْرِglory
مِنْ حَرْبٍ بِلاَ فَخْرِ
We have reached you, freed
We have come to you sincerely
from a war without glory.
From a war without pride
دَخَلْنَاهَاwe entered it بِلاَwithout قَصْدٍintent
دَخَلْنَاهَا بِلاَ قَصْدٍ
وَأَدْمَتْنَاand it bloodied us بِلاَwithout وَتْرِa blood debt
وَأَدْمَتْنَا بِلاَ وَتْرِ
We entered it without intent,
We entered it aimlessly
and it bloodied us without a blood debt.
And continued without resolve
تَهُونُseem slight لَدَىbeside مَضَارِبِهَاits blows
تَهُونُ لَدَى مَضَارِبِهَا
جِرَاحُthe wounds of الْبِيضthe bright swords وَالسُّمرِand the brown spears
جِرَاحُ الْبِيض وَالسُّمرِ
Beside its blows, slight seem
In its battles, the wounds of whites and browns are trivial
the wounds of bright swords and brown spears.
Last year we were raided
غَزَانَاassailed us عَامُنَاour year المَاضِيpast
غَزَانَا عَامُنَا المَاضِي
غَزَاةَan onslaught of الظُّلمِinjustice وَالقَهْرِand oppression
غَزَاةَ الظُّلمِ وَالقَهْرِ
Our past year assailed us
By the raiders of injustice and oppression
with an onslaught of injustice and oppression.
So we don't spend an evening without purpose
فَلاَso not نُمْسِيwe enter evening بِلاَwithout أَمْرٍa care
فَلاَ نُمْسِي بِلاَ أَمْرٍ
وَلاَand not نُضْحِيwe enter morning بِلاَwithout أَمْرِa care
وَلاَ نُضْحِي بِلاَ أَمْرِ
So we enter no evening without a care,
Nor rise without purpose
nor any morning without a care.
We drank wine to lessen
شَرِبْنَاwe drank الخَمْرَwine تَخْفيفاًto temper
شَرِبْنَا الخَمْرَ تَخْفيفاً
لِطَعْمِfor the taste of الصَّابِthe bitter sap وَالمُرِّand myrrh
لِطَعْمِ الصَّابِ وَالمُرِّ
We drank wine to temper
The taste of bitterness and sorrow
the taste of bitter sap and myrrh.
We drank it to make us forget
شَرِبْنَاهَاwe drank it لِتُنْسِيَنَاso it might make us forget
شَرِبْنَاهَا لِتُنْسِيَنَا
نِزَالَthe battle of الْهَمِّworry وَالفِكْرِand thought
نِزَالَ الْهَمِّ وَالفِكْرِ
We drank it so it might make us forget
The descent of worries and thoughts
the battle of worry and thought.
We drank it as a cure
شَرِبْنَاهَاwe drank it مُدَاوَاةًas a remedy
شَرِبْنَاهَا مُدَاوَاةً
لِدَاءِfor the sickness of الرُّوحِthe soul بِالسُّكرِthrough intoxication
لِدَاءِ الرُّوحِ بِالسُّكرِ
We drank it as a remedy
For the disease of the soul with sweetness
for the soul's sickness, through intoxication,
We hope we will return to dreams
عَسَانَاperhaps we رَاجِعُوregaining حُلُمٍa dream
عَسَانَا رَاجِعُو حُلُمٍ
مَضَىdeparted بَأَطَايِبِwith the sweetest joys of الْعُمْرِlife
مَضَى بَأَطَايِبِ الْعُمْرِ
hoping we might regain a dream
That passed with the best years
that departed with life's sweetest joys.
And this is our drinking, oh night
وَهَذَاand this شُرْبُناour drinking يَاO لَيْلُnight
وَهَذَا شُرْبُنا يَا لَيْلُ
مِنْamong آثَارِهِits traces الكُدْرِmurky
مِنْ آثَارِهِ الكُدْرِ
And this drinking of ours, O night,
From its turbid traces
is among its murky traces.
So be lowering the curtains
فكُنْso be مُنْسَدِلَdraped with الأَسْتَارِthe curtains
فكُنْ مُنْسَدِلَ الأَسْتَارِ
بَيْنَbetween الْعَفْوِpardon وَالْعُذْرِand excuse
بَيْنَ الْعَفْوِ وَالْعُذْرِ
So let your curtains fall
Between pardon and excuse
between pardon and excuse.
My life for you, oh cupbearer
إِليَّto me فُدِيتَmay you be ransomed يَاO سَاقِيcupbearer
إِليَّ فُدِيتَ يَا سَاقِي
بِشَمْسٍwith a sun مِنْfrom يَدَيْthe two hands of بَدْرِa full moon
بِشَمْسٍ مِنْ يَدَيْ بَدْرِ
Bring me, O cupbearer—may you be ransomed!—
With a sun from the hands of the full moon
a sun from the hands of a full moon.
And unleash it and let me hear
وَسَلْسِلْهَاand pour it in a stream وَأَسْمِعْنِيand let me hear
وَسَلْسِلْهَا وَأَسْمِعْنِي
أَنِينَthe moan of دُمُوعِهَاits tears تَجْرِيthey flow
أَنِينَ دُمُوعِهَا تَجْرِي
And pour it in a stream, and let me hear
The moaning of its tears flowing
the moan of its tears as they flow.
Is that a palm tree wailing
فَمَاfor no وَرْقَاءُa gray dove نَائِحَةٌlamenting
فَمَا وَرْقَاءُ نَائِحَةٌ
عَلَىin التَّرْجِيعِtrilling مِنْthan قُمْرِيmy turtledove
عَلَى التَّرْجِيعِ مِنْ قُمْرِي
For no lamenting gray dove
For my repetition of verse?
can match my turtledove in its trilling.
And show me on the horizon of stars
وَأَطْلِعْand make rise فِيin سَمَاءِthe sky of الكأْthe cup (first part)
وَأَطْلِعْ فِي سَمَاءِ الكأْ
سِcup (final part) آفَاقاًhorizons مِنَof التِّبرِraw gold
سِ آفَاقاً مِنَ التِّبرِ
And raise in the cup's sky
Expanses of enchantment
horizons of raw gold.
The star of loves floated in it
طَفاfloated نَجْمُthe star of الْحَبَابِthe bubbles بِهَاin it
طَفا نَجْمُ الْحَبَابِ بِهَا
عَلَىupon شَفَقٍa twilight glow مِنَof الخَمْرِwine
عَلَى شَفَقٍ مِنَ الخَمْرِ
The star of bubbles floated in it
On a sunset of wine
upon a twilight glow of wine.
Are those pearls or lamps
دَرَارِيءُbrilliant stars تِلْكَthose أَمْor مُقَلٌeyes
دَرَارِيءُ تِلْكَ أَمْ مُقَلٌ
تُرَامِزُنَاwink at us إِلىtoward سِرِّa secret
تُرَامِزُنَا إِلى سِرِّ
Are those brilliant stars, or eyes
Winking at us to a secret?
that wink at us, hinting at a secret?
And is that a color or light
وَلَوْنٌand a color ذَاكَthat أَمْor نُورٌa light
وَلَوْنٌ ذَاكَ أَمْ نُورٌ
يُنِيرُilluminates غَيَاهِبَthe dark depths of الدَّهْرِtime
يُنِيرُ غَيَاهِبَ الدَّهْرِ
And is that color, or a light
Illuminating the darkness of time?
that illuminates the dark depths of time?
Oh year, we have come close
أَلاَAh يَاO عَامُyear أَزْلِفْنَاbring us near
أَلاَ يَا عَامُ أَزْلِفْنَا
إِلَىto العَافِيthe pardoner عَنِof الْوِزْرِsin
إِلَى العَافِي عَنِ الْوِزْرِ
Ah, O year, bring us near
To being relieved of burden
to the One who pardons sin,
With the goodness you bestow
بِإِحْسَانٍwith kindness تَجُودُyou are generous بِهِwith it
بِإِحْسَانٍ تَجُودُ بِهِ
وَتَكْفِيرٍand atonement عَنِfor الشَّرِّevil
وَتَكْفِيرٍ عَنِ الشَّرِّ
through kindness you bestow
And atonement for evil
and atonement for evil.
And this is your hoped-for night
وَهَذَاand this لَيْلُكَyour night المَأْمُولُlong-awaited
وَهَذَا لَيْلُكَ المَأْمُولُ
أَحْيَيْنَاهُwe celebrated it بِالْبِشْرِwith gladness
أَحْيَيْنَاهُ بِالْبِشْرِ
And this is your long-awaited night;
We have brought it to life with good tidings
we have celebrated it with gladness.
Will it be truthful at dawn?
يُرِينَاit shows us حُسْنَهُits beauty وَعْداًas a promise
يُرِينَا حُسْنَهُ وَعْداً
فَهَلْso will يَصْدُقُit prove true فِيat الْفجْرِdawn
فَهَلْ يَصْدُقُ فِي الْفجْرِ
It shows us its beauty as a promise;
A person remains in his world
so will it prove true at dawn?
From occupation to occupation
يظلcontinues المرءa person فيin دنياهhis world
يظل المرء في دنياه
منfrom شغلa task إلىto شغلa task
من شغل إلى شغل
A man goes on in his world,
Finding purpose and creating it
from one task to another.
Through the years like garments
يجدrenews منىhopes ويخلقهاand wears them out
يجد منى ويخلقها
علىover الأعوامthe years كالحللlike robes
على الأعوام كالحلل
He renews hopes and wears them out
And from year to year
over the years, like robes.
He revisits it without boredom
ومنand from سنةa year إلىto سنةa year
ومن سنة إلى سنة
يعاودهاhe revisits them بلاwithout مللweariness
يعاودها بلا ملل
And from one year to another,
From hope to despair
he revisits them without tiring:
And from despair to hope
فمنso from أملhope إلىto يأسdespair
فمن أمل إلى يأس
ومنand from يأسdespair إلىto أملhope
ومن يأس إلى أمل
so from hope to despair,
No happiness or comfort
and from despair to hope.
And no glory but work
ولاand no سعدhappiness ولاand no سلوىsolace
ولا سعد ولا سلوى
ولاand no مجدglory سوىexcept العملwork
ولا مجد سوى العمل
And there is no happiness, no solace,
and no glory, save in work.
Partial English translation: 54 of 56 Arabic lines translated.