1. تقاصرَ عمرُ الظلامِ الطويلْ

    ولا بدَّ من أجلٍ للعليلْ

    The life of the long darkness grew shorter,

    and the ailing must have an appointed end.

  2. وضاقَ بهِ الأفق ضيقَ القبور

    فزمَّ الكواكبَ يبغي الرحيلْ

    And the horizon narrowed around it, narrow as graves,

    so it bridled the stars, seeking departure.

  3. وراحَ فخفَّتْ همومُ القلوبْ

    كما سار بعدَ المقامِ الثقيل

    And it departed, so the hearts' cares grew light,

    as it moved on after its burdensome stay.

  4. لقدْ كدتُ أبغضُ لونَ الظلامْ

    لولا شفاعةُ طرفٍ كحيلْ

    Indeed, I nearly hated the color of darkness,

    but for the intercession of a kohl-dark eye.

  5. طوى الشمسَ فاختبأت أختها

    نفورَ الغزالِة من وجهِ فيلْ

    It folded away the sun, and her sister hid,

    like a gazelle shying from an elephant's face.

  6. وكانتْ إذا احتجتْ قبلهْ

    تجاذبها نسماتُ الأصيلْ

    And whenever she protested before it came,

    the late-afternoon breezes would tug at her.

  7. أرى البدرَ غارَ فأغرى بها

    وكلُّ جميلٍ يعادي الجميلْ

    I think the full moon grew jealous and incited it against her,

    and every beauty makes an enemy of beauty.

  8. أم الحظُّ أرسلَ لي ذا الدجى

    فكانَ الرسالة وجه الرسولْ

    Or did fortune send me this darkness,

    so that the messenger's face was the message?

  9. أم الليلٌُ قد قامَ في مأتمٍ

    فمنهُ الحدادُ ومنهُ العويلْ

    Or has night arisen at a funeral,

    so mourning comes from it, and from it, wailing?

  10. ولم أنسَ ساعةَ أبصرتُها

    وجسم النهارِ كجسمي نحيلْ

    And I have not forgotten the hour I beheld her,

    with the day's body as gaunt as mine.

  11. وقد خرجتْ لتعزي السماءْ

    عن ابنتها إذ طواها الأفولْ

    And she had come out to console the sky

    for her daughter, when sunset folded her away.

  12. على مركبٍ أشبهتهُ البروج

    تمرُّ بهِ كالبروقِ الخيولْ

    Upon a carriage that the constellations resembled,

    horses sweep it along like flashes of lightning.

  13. إذا قابلتهُ لحاظُ العيونْ

    سمعتَ لأسيافهنَّ صليلْ

    When the glances of eyes confront it,

    you hear the clang of their swords.

  14. وإن قاربتهُ ظنونُ النفوس

    رأيتَ النفوسَ عليهِ تسيلْ

    And if the souls' imaginings approach it,

    you see souls flowing over it.

  15. وقد أخرجتْ نفحاتُ الرياضْ

    زكاةَ الرياحينِ لابنِ السبيلْ

    And the gardens' fragrant breaths had brought forth

    the fragrant plants' alms for the wayfarer.

  16. وقد عبثَ الدلُّ بالغانياتْ

    فذي تتهادى وهذي تميلْ

    And coquetry had played with the lovely women,

    so this one glides gracefully and that one sways.

  17. كأنَّ الحواجبَ قوسٌ فما

    تحركَ إلا جلتْ عن قتيلْ

    As though the eyebrows were a bow: it never

    moved without revealing someone slain.

  18. كأنَّ القلوبَ أضلَّتْ قلوباً

    فكانتْ لحاظُ العيونِ الدليلْ

    As though hearts had lost other hearts,

    so the glances of eyes became the guide.

  19. حمائمٌ في حَرَمٍ آمنٍ

    بهذي الضلوعِ بناهُ الخليلْ

    Doves in a safe sanctuary,

    that the Friend built within these ribs.

  20. وما راعها غيرُ لونِ الدجى

    يصدئُ لوحَ السماءِ الصقيلْ

    And nothing frightened them but the color of darkness,

    rusting the sky's polished tablet.

  21. فيا قبحَ الليلُ من قادمٍ

    بوجهِ الكذوبِ ومرأى العذولْ

    Oh, how ugly night is as a visitor,

    with a liar's face and a reproacher's look!

  22. بغيضٌ إلينا على ذلَهِ

    وشرٌّ من الذلِّ بغضُ الذليلْ

    Loathsome to us despite its abasement,

    and worse than abasement is hatred of the abased.

  23. وكم عزني بالأماني التي

    أرتني أنَّ زماني بخيلْ

    And how often it overwhelmed me with hopes that

    showed me that my time was miserly.

  24. ومن أملِ الناسِ ما لا يُنالْ

    كما أنَّ في الناسِ من لا يُنيلْ

    And some of people's hopes cannot be attained,

    just as there are people who do not give.