ليلٌ طويل كأنهُ الأبدُ

ليلٌ طويل كأنهُ الأبدُ

وناظرٌ ملء نوره سهدُ

وناظرٌ ملء نوره سهدُ

A night so long, as though it were eternity;

A long night, as though it were eternity;

while sleeplessness floods the light of my eye.

And an eye whose light is filled with sleeplessness.

هيهات نور الصباح انظره

هيهات نور الصباح انظره

هذا ظلام يظل يطّرد

هذا ظلام يظل يطّرد

How far beyond my sight is the light of dawn!

Far off is the morning light I watch for.

Here is darkness, pursued by another darkness;

This is darkness that keeps flowing on,

من بعضه بعضهُ فأوّله

من بعضه بعضهُ فأوّله

آخرهُ ما لجريه أمدُ

آخرهُ ما لجريه أمدُ

from one part of it comes another, so its beginning

One part from another; its beginning

is like its end—its course has no term.

Is its end; its course has no limit.

ما وجد الناس من لواعجهم

ما وجد الناس من لواعجهم

مثل الذي من لواعجي أجدُ

مثل الذي من لواعجي أجدُ

Among all their burning pangs, people have never found

People have not felt, in their burning anguish,

the like of what I find in my own burning pangs.

The like of what I feel in mine.

إني لبست الضنى وهم برئوا

إني لبست الضنى وهم برئوا

وقد سهرت الدجى وهم رقدوا

وقد سهرت الدجى وهم رقدوا

I have clothed myself in wasting sickness, while they recovered;

I have donned wasting sickness, while they have recovered;

I have kept vigil through the darkness, while they slept.

And I have kept vigil through the darkness, while they slept.

يا ليتني مثلهم أخو جلد

يا ليتني مثلهم أخو جلد

فكل داءٍ دواؤهُ الجلد

فكل داءٍ دواؤهُ الجلد

If only I, like them, possessed fortitude—

Oh, if only I, like them, possessed fortitude!

for fortitude is the medicine of every illness.

For every ailment has its cure in fortitude.

من لي بقلب يحكي قلوبهم

من لي بقلب يحكي قلوبهم

إن هاجه الشوق ليس يرتعد

إن هاجه الشوق ليس يرتعد

Who will give me a heart resembling their hearts,

Who can give me a heart that resembles theirs?

one that, when longing stirs it, does not tremble;

If longing stirs it, it does not tremble;

وإن رأى الناس في الهوى أتأدوا

وإن رأى الناس في الهوى أتأدوا

يمشي على نهجهم فيتئدُ

يمشي على نهجهم فيتئدُ

and when it sees people proceeding deliberately in love,

And if it sees people taking their time in love,

follows their path and proceeds deliberately too,

It walks along their path, and so moves unhurriedly.

مقلدٌ غير مثمرٍ طمعاً

مقلدٌ غير مثمرٍ طمعاً

يسعد في الناس إن همو سعدوا

يسعد في الناس إن همو سعدوا

imitating them in a hope that bears no fruit:

An imitator, bearing no fruit of hope,

to be happy among people, if they are happy—

It is happy among people if they are happy.

بركانه فيه خامدٌ أبداً

بركانه فيه خامدٌ أبداً

من نظرة باللحاظ يتقدُ

من نظرة باللحاظ يتقدُ

its volcano forever dormant within,

Its volcano lies forever dormant within it;

yet kindled by a single glance of the eyes.

A glance of the eyes sets it aflame.