تَبَدَّت لَنا إِذ غابَتِ الشَمسُ وَاِلتَقَت

تَبَدَّت لَنا إِذ غابَتِ الشَمسُ وَاِلتَقَت

عَلى الأَرضِ مِن أَقطارِها ظُلُماتُها

عَلى الأَرضِ مِن أَقطارِها ظُلُماتُها

She appeared to us as the sun set, while there gathered

She appeared to us when the sun set, and there gathered

over the earth, from all its quarters, its darknesses.

upon the earth, from its far reaches, its darkness.

فَأَشرَقَت الدُنيا جَميعاً بِوَجهِها

فَأَشرَقَت الدُنيا جَميعاً بِوَجهِها

بِلَيلَةِ سَعدٍ لا يَضِلُّ سُراتُها

بِلَيلَةِ سَعدٍ لا يَضِلُّ سُراتُها

Then the whole world shone radiant through her face,

Then the whole world shone with her face,

on a fortunate night whose night travelers do not go astray.

on a fortunate night whose night travelers do not lose their way.

وَسارَت كَثيراً جَلسُها وَرَفيقُها

وَسارَت كَثيراً جَلسُها وَرَفيقُها

فَقَطَّعَ قَلبي لَمحُها وَاِلتِفاتُها

فَقَطَّعَ قَلبي لَمحُها وَاِلتِفاتُها

Those seated with her and her companion journeyed on for a long while;

And her seatmate and her companion walked a long way;

the flash of her glance and her turning cut my heart to pieces.

so her glances and her turning tore my heart apart.

يُناجونَها دوني فَيا لَكِ حَسرَةً

يُناجونَها دوني فَيا لَكِ حَسرَةً

تُعَذِّبُ نَفساً جَمَّةً حَسَراتُها

تُعَذِّبُ نَفساً جَمَّةً حَسَراتُها

They converse privately with her, excluding me—oh, what anguish—

They whisper to her without me—oh, what anguish,

whose manifold pangs torment my soul.

tormenting a soul whose sorrows are many!