ألا قُل لبدر ليالي الدجى

ألا قُل لبدر ليالي الدجى

ونور الظلام إذا أسدَفا

ونور الظلام إذا أسدَفا

Listen, tell the full moon of the dark nights,

O say to the full moon in the nights of darkness,

And the light of darkness when it grows deep,

And light of the gloom when it is cloaked,

ويا قمراً اسمه يوسفٌ

ويا قمراً اسمه يوسفٌ

وفي الحسن تشبيهه يوسفا

وفي الحسن تشبيهه يوسفا

And O moon whose name is Yusuf,

And O moon whose name is Yusuf,

And who in beauty is likened to Yusuf:

And in beauty he is likened to Yusuf,

ويا فاتر الجفن ماذا الجفا

ويا فاتر الجفن ماذا الجفا

أمَا آنَ باللَهِ أن تعطفا

أمَا آنَ باللَهِ أن تعطفا

And O languid-eyed one, what is this coldness?

And O languid-eyed one, what is this aloofness?

By God, is it not time for you to show kindness?

Is it not time, by Allah, that you show kindness?

أذا المسك أُنبِتَ في عارِضَيكَ

أذا المسك أُنبِتَ في عارِضَيكَ

أم الوالدانِ له غَلَّفا

أم الوالدانِ له غَلَّفا

Has this musk been planted upon your cheeks,

If musk is produced on your cheeks,

Or did his parents perfume him?

Or did your parents put kohl on them,

فقد حَسَّناكَ وقد ملَّحاكَ

فقد حَسَّناكَ وقد ملَّحاكَ

وما أحسَنا بي ولا أنصفا

وما أحسَنا بي ولا أنصفا

For they have made you handsome and charming,

Then they have beautified you and made you elegant,

Yet they have neither treated me kindly nor been fair.

But they did not do right by me or act justly.