تذكَّرتُ ليلاً في الخميلةِ مُقمِرا

تذكَّرتُ ليلاً في الخميلةِ مُقمِرا

ورَبعاً بأنفاسِ الملاحِ تعطَّرا

ورَبعاً بأنفاسِ الملاحِ تعطَّرا

I recalled a moonlit night in the grove,

In the tranquility of night I recalled

And an abode perfumed by the breath of beauties.

A quarter illuminated by the sailor's breath, perfumed.

فكادت تذيبُ القلبَ ذكرى مليحةٍ

فكادت تذيبُ القلبَ ذكرى مليحةٍ

على جيدِها دَمعي الثمينُ تحدَّرا

على جيدِها دَمعي الثمينُ تحدَّرا

Then the memory of a lovely woman nearly melted my heart,

The memory of a beautiful one almost melted my heart,

Upon whose neck my precious tears had streamed.

And on her cheek my precious tears streamed down.

وفَت مُقلتي في الحبّ دَينَ منعّمٍ

وفَت مُقلتي في الحبّ دَينَ منعّمٍ

كزنبقةِ الآجامِ أبيضَ أصفَرا

كزنبقةِ الآجامِ أبيضَ أصفَرا

My eye repaid, in love, its debt to a pampered beloved,

My eyelids languished in love for the exquisite

White and yellow as a lily of the thickets.

Like a white and yellow iris.

لعمركِ إنَّ الدَّمعَ للقلبِ نافعٌ

لعمركِ إنَّ الدَّمعَ للقلبِ نافعٌ

كما جادَ ماءُ المزنِ رَوضاً فنوَّرا

كما جادَ ماءُ المزنِ رَوضاً فنوَّرا

By your life, tears are good for the heart,

By your life, tears benefit the heart

As water from rain clouds drenches a meadow, which then blooms.

As rainwater nourishes and illuminates the meadow.

وربَّ بلايا يحمدُ المرءُ نَفعَها

وربَّ بلايا يحمدُ المرءُ نَفعَها

فإنّ صفاءَ الماءِ أن يتَقَطَّرا

فإنّ صفاءَ الماءِ أن يتَقَطَّرا

And many are the afflictions whose benefits one praises,

And the Lord of tribulations, one praises their benefit,

For water's purity lies in its being distilled.

For the purity of water is that it trickles.

فقالَ الذي أودَعتُه نصفَ مُهجتي

فقالَ الذي أودَعتُه نصفَ مُهجتي

جَرى لكَ دمعٌ في البليةِ ما جرى

جَرى لكَ دمعٌ في البليةِ ما جرى

Then the one to whom I entrusted half my soul said:

So the one in whom I confided half my anguish said:

What tears have flowed for you in this affliction!

"Tears flowed for you in affliction as they never did."

فقلتُ لهُ والشَّوقُ باللّبِّ طائرٌ

فقلتُ لهُ والشَّوقُ باللّبِّ طائرٌ

لقد كنت لولا الحبّ أقوى وأصبرا

لقد كنت لولا الحبّ أقوى وأصبرا

So I said to him, while longing bore my mind aloft:

I said to him, while yearning fluttered in my chest:

Indeed, but for love, I would have been stronger and more patient.

"Had it not been for love, I would have been stronger and more patient."

وقَفتُ مُنى نفسي على المجدِ والهوى

وقَفتُ مُنى نفسي على المجدِ والهوى

سأقضي بهذا أو بذاكَ فأُعذَرا

سأقضي بهذا أو بذاكَ فأُعذَرا

I devoted my soul's hopes to glory and passion;

I paused, determined in myself for glory and passion:

I shall perish through this or that, and thus be excused.

"I will fulfill this or that, so I will be excused."

تصدَّعَ هذا القلبُ من نظراتِها

تصدَّعَ هذا القلبُ من نظراتِها

كَنصلٍ على أمضى النِّصالِ تكسّرا

كَنصلٍ على أمضى النِّصالِ تكسّرا

This heart was shattered by her glances,

This heart cracked from her glances

Like a blade broken against the keenest of blades.

Like a blade shattered on the sharpest sword.

وفاضت لمرآها أرقُّ عَواطِفي

وفاضت لمرآها أرقُّ عَواطِفي

كما انحلَّ عقدٌ مثمنٌ فتنثَّرا

كما انحلَّ عقدٌ مثمنٌ فتنثَّرا

And at the sight of her, my tenderest feelings overflowed,

And for the sight of her my most tender feelings poured out

Like a precious necklace that came unstrung and scattered.

As a threaded necklace coming undone and scattering.

لها نفَسٌ لو كان في هبَّةِ الصِّبا

لها نفَسٌ لو كان في هبَّةِ الصِّبا

لعطَّرت الأغصان والماءَ والثَّرى

لعطَّرت الأغصان والماءَ والثَّرى

She has a breath that, were it in a gust of the east wind,

She has a soul - if it were a gift of the morning breeze

Would perfume the branches, the water, and the moist earth.

It would perfume the branches, the water, and the earth.

وبسمتُها لو كان للصبحِ مثلُها

وبسمتُها لو كان للصبحِ مثلُها

لحدَّثَ ليلي أن يحُولَ ويقصرا

لحدَّثَ ليلي أن يحُولَ ويقصرا

And her smile—if dawn had one like it,

And her smile, if the dawn had one like it

It would tell my night to pass away and grow shorter.

It would inspire the night to change and shorten.

لقد سمِعَتها الطَّيرُ يوماً فغرَّدَت

لقد سمِعَتها الطَّيرُ يوماً فغرَّدَت

وأبصرَها الغصنُ الوريق فأزهرا

وأبصرَها الغصنُ الوريق فأزهرا

Indeed, the birds heard her one day and warbled,

The birds heard her one day and sang joyfully,

And the leafy bough beheld her and blossomed.

And the leafy branch saw her and blossomed.