يا ليلة أذكرتني — أبو المعالي الطالوي — Saqi

يا لَيلَةً أَذكَرَتني
قِدماً لَيالِيَ وَصلي
O night that reminded me
Of my nights of union long ago,
أَيّامَ عَصرِ التَصابي
بِالغيدِ تَجمَعُ شَملي
In the days of youthful dalliance,
When I was reunited with graceful beauties,
في فِتيَةٍ كَنُجومٍ
أَضحَت لَطيفَةَ شَكلِ
Among young men like stars
That had become graceful in form,
بِغُرفَةٍ في بِناها
تَسمو النُجومَ بِفَضلِ
In a chamber whose structure
Rises above the stars in excellence,
غَرّاء باتَ نَديمي
حَتّى الصَباح وَيُملي
Radiant, where my drinking companion stayed
Until morning, dictating
بِها عَلَيَّ حَديثاً
عَنِ المُدامَةِ يُسلي
To me there a tale
About wine, to entertain me.
ظَبيٌ إِذا ما تَبَدّى
سَبا البَرايا بِدَلِّ
A gazelle who, whenever he appeared,
Captivated all mankind with his coquetry.
يَفتَرُّ عَن ذي غُروب
عَذبٌ عَنِ الراحِ يُجلي
He smiles, revealing a mouth with sharp-edged teeth,
Sweet, it turns one away from wine.
وَيَنثَني بِقَوامٍ
كَخوط بانَةِ رَملِ
And he sways with a figure
Like a shoot of a bān tree in the sand.
مَن لي بِرَشفِ لَماهُ
مِن لي بِذَلِكَ مَن لي
Who will let me sip from his dusky lips?
Who will grant me that—who will?
ذُو مُقلَةِ الريمِ وَسنى
بِلَحظِها رامَ قَتلي
He of the white gazelle's drowsy eye
With its glance, he sought to kill me.
ما زِلتُ أَنقُل عَنهُ
سِحرَ العُيون وَتُملي
I kept transcribing from him
The magic of eyes, as they dictated,
حَتّى إِذا النَجمُ أَهوى
لِغَربِهِ في تَدَلّي
Until, when the star descended
Toward its setting, sinking low,
وَأَقبَل الصُبحُ لَمّا
مَرَّ الدُجى في تَولّي
And dawn came, when
The darkness passed in retreat,
غَدا بِنارِ غَرامٍ
بَينَ الجَوانِح مُصلي
He was now, with passion's fire,
Scorching me within my ribs.