ما بال طيفك زار محتشماً

ما بال طيفك زار محتشماً

لو لم يزر ما كان متهما

لو لم يزر ما كان متهما

Why did your phantom visit so shyly?

Why did your specter visit me discreetly

Had it not visited, it would not have been suspected.

If he had not visited, he would not have been blamed

وافى وقد نام السمير وما

وافى وقد نام السمير وما

شعر الرقيب به ولا علما

شعر الرقيب به ولا علما

It arrived when the nighttime companion had fallen asleep; nor

He came while the guard was asleep, unaware

did the watcher sense its presence or know.

And the night had spread its curtains

والليل قد مدت ستائره

والليل قد مدت ستائره

والصبح لم ينشر له علما

والصبح لم ينشر له علما

And night's curtains had been drawn,

And the dawn had not yet unfurled its banners

and dawn had not unfurled a banner of its own.

I wished the night would lengthen

فوددت أن الليل طال وأ

فوددت أن الليل طال وأ

ن الصبح لم يفتر مبتسماً

ن الصبح لم يفتر مبتسماً

So I wished that night would linger, and

And the dawn would not break smiling

that dawn would not part its lips in a smile.

O specter of intimacy, you have reached me

يا طيف علوة قد وصلت على

يا طيف علوة قد وصلت على

رغم الوشاة من الهوى رحما

رغم الوشاة من الهوى رحما

O phantom of ʿAlwa, you have preserved, despite

Despite the slanderers' disapproval out of love as a mercy

the slanderers, a bond of love.

I remained submissive since we parted

ما زلت أخضع يوم فرقته

ما زلت أخضع يوم فرقته

والبين قد مزج الدموع دما

والبين قد مزج الدموع دما

I kept bowing on the day of parting from him,

And separation mixed tears with blood

and separation had mingled tears with blood.

So I became enraged and feverish

فتملت عضبا واختمرت

فتملت عضبا واختمرت

وأباحني فمه وكان حمى

وأباحني فمه وكان حمى

Then [unclear verb] a keen sword, and I grew intoxicated;

And his mouth made me permissible, though it was forbidden

and he granted me his mouth, which had been forbidden ground.

So I kissed him to stop him

فلثمت منه تمنعه

فلثمت منه تمنعه

من لاثميه مبسماً شبما

من لاثميه مبسماً شبما

Then, despite his coyness, I kissed his

From kissing me, smiling playfully

cool, smiling mouth, withheld from those who kiss him.

And I looked in the mirror that judges days

ونظرت في مرآة واعظة الا

ونظرت في مرآة واعظة الا

يام شيئاً عمم اللمما

يام شيئاً عمم اللمما

And I saw in the mirror of the admonition of

Something the faults had made public

days something that wrapped the locks like a turban.

After today there is only our specters

ليس بعد اليوم إلا طيفنا

ليس بعد اليوم إلا طيفنا

في الصالحات مقدما خدما

في الصالحات مقدما خدما

After today, there is nothing but our phantom,

Among the righteous deeds going forward in service

offering services among righteous deeds.