1. My heart's beloved, the moon shone bright,
Come O Samir, come O dark beauty.

2. Behind the fence, delight did reign,
As the garden, lit up, became yet more bright.

3. The flowers forgave us with their gaze,
So we could feast our eyes upon each other.

4. My love became the apple of my eyes,
While I was captive to his vision.

5. I looked upon his face and saw,
The most beautiful of all creation.

6. And from me emerged my gentle, loving friend,
Who never disobeyed a command.

7. Never did he in anger utter,
A phrase that would end our love or caution.

8. So a meeting of love was bliss for us,
Under trees with shimmering leaves.

9. A single leaf would part to reveal,
The face of the moon in its contours.

10. It became a crescent, that wondrous thing,
Dimmed by my love's splendor it seems.

11. No need for wine were we,
Love itself made us drunk.

12. Sweeter than slumber on silk was it,
When the beloved prolonged our waking.

13. And more delicious when he chided me,
And I felt the rebuke but knew his care.

14. Lovelier than all this to me,
Was when he gently explained after reproach.

15. For my love's excuse was like a watcher's absence,
And time's caprice is fortune's whim.

16. Most pleasurable for lovers' souls is life,
Yielding to human nature's disposition.

17. One soul yearns for another soul,
Creation bears witness to human bonds.

18. A beloved leans toward his love,
As man desires woman.

19. The night now neared its end,
But we saw no sign of dawn.

20. My love feared the breaking day,
So I said "It's the moon," and he said, "It's the sun."

21. I lied, as the dawn thread whitened,
But nothing did he fear would part us.

22. He said "The night has been long as we were veiled,"
I said "Our night is but halfway done."

23. We stole from fate a night of love,
So our loot is the light in our hearts.