The people of love, O Night, spend their evenings | أهل الهوى يا ليل فاتوا مضاجعهم |
They gather together, O Night, in company and I am among them | واتجمعوا يا ليل صحبه وأنا معهم |
They drag you out, O Night and shorten you, O Night | يطولوك يا ليل ويقصروك يا ليل |
They drag you out, O Night | يطولوك يا ليل من اللي بيهم |
And you, O Night, are the only one who knows them | وانت يا ليل بس اللى عالم بيهم |
Among them are the broken-hearted and those in pain | فيهم كسير القلب والمتألم |
Those who muffle their complaints and don’t speak | واللي كتم شكواه ولم يتكلم |
Those who sit alone after their beloveds [have left] | واللي قعد بعد الحبايب وحده |
And spend the night sad bemoaning their cares and love | وبات حزين يشكي هيامه ووجده |
Complaining, and no creature hears their complaints | يشكو ولا مخلوق سمع شكواهم |
But the planets in the heavens hear them | إلا الكواكب فى السما سمعاهم |
They drag you out, O Night, with sleeplessness and thoughts | يطولوك يا ليل بالسهد والأفكار |
And after the night, the sun shines day upon them | والشمس بعد الليل يطلع عليهم نهار |
And after long agony, you return to them , O Night | وبعد طول الويل تعود لهم ياليل |
And they make you shorter, O Night, in pleasant company | ويقصروك ياليل فى صحبه هنيه |
On a string that vibrates in accompaniment | على وتر رنان فى الصبحية |
Among them are lovers who bear affection for their beloved | فيهم ياليل خل عطف على خله |
And they sing them a tune of love, and their beloved sings it back | ويقوله لحن الشوق وخله يقول له |
They shorten you, O Night, in joy and good cheer | ويقصروك ياليل على هنا وسرور |
And after the night, the sun shines its light upon them | والشمس بعد الليل يطلع عليهم نور |
And they ask you, “O Night, when are you coming back?” | ويسألوك ياليل امتى تعود ياليل |
From their hearts, people say “O Night” | ناس من قلوبهم تقول ياليل |
And people play on the arghul [a type of musical instrument; see here], “O Night” | وناس على الأرغول تقول ياليل |
And with us a full moon rises in a night of destiny | واحنا معانا بدر طالع فى ليلة قدر |
Where the beloved is true to his vows | فيها حبيب القلب وافا ووفى الندر |
He says “O Night” and we say “O Night” | هو يقول ياليل واحنا نقول ياليل |
And we all say “O Night,” and the people of love say “O Night” | وكلنا بنقول ياليل أهل الهوى ياليل |