ربَّ يومٍ جاء يوحي بأمرٍ

ربَّ يومٍ جاء يوحي بأمرٍ

فيه شيطانه إلى شيطاني

فيه شيطانه إلى شيطاني

On many a day there came, whispering a message,

My Lord, one day he came whispering

his devil to my devil—

Of a matter in which his demon spoke

من سرارٍ بين اللَّحاظ وروحي

من سرارٍ بين اللَّحاظ وروحي

أتقنت علم سحره العينانِ

أتقنت علم سحره العينانِ

a secret exchange between glances and my soul,

To my own demon, between the bedsheets and my soul

whose magic the two eyes had mastered.

His eyes perfected the magic's knowledge

وأفاضا من الهوى في حديثٍ

وأفاضا من الهوى في حديثٍ

ليس من جنس ما يعي الملكانِ

ليس من جنس ما يعي الملكانِ

And the two poured forth love in a discourse

And poured forth from passion, in a discourse

unlike anything the two angels comprehend.

Unlike what the two angels comprehend

ثم زنداي وشَّحاه وشاحاً

ثم زنداي وشَّحاه وشاحاً

ما لزنَّاره بذاك يدانِ

ما لزنَّاره بذاك يدانِ

Then my two forearms wrapped him in a sash

Then he pulled me close and drew me near

that his girdle had no strength to rival.

Not even Zannar's fires equal that embrace

فاغتدينا من العناق اتِّحاداً

فاغتدينا من العناق اتِّحاداً

مثل جسمٍ قد حلَّه روحانِ

مثل جسمٍ قد حلَّه روحانِ

So through our embrace we became one,

We indulged in an embrace of oneness

like a body inhabited by two souls.

Like a body inhabited by two spirits