أَيُّها النائم في مَهـ

أَيُّها النائم في مَهـ

ـد أَغاني وَلَحني

ـد أَغاني وَلَحني

O sleeper in the cradle

O you who sleeps in a cradle of my songs and tunes

of my songs and my melody,

Thus does my power infiltrate and my sorrow seduce you

هَكَذا ينفذ سُلطا

هَكَذا ينفذ سُلطا

ني وَيَستَهويك حُزني

ني وَيَستَهويك حُزني

Thus my authority prevails,

Thus does what I resist fall into your eyes

and my sorrow enthralls you.

You who bestow my tunes and whom art exhausts

هَكَذا يَهبط في عَينيـ

هَكَذا يَهبط في عَينيـ

ـك ما تَدفع عَيني

ـك ما تَدفع عَيني

Thus into your eyes descends

You who inspired the tune in me

what my eye sends forth.

So in you I find my wish

أَنتَ يا واهب أَلحا

أَنتَ يا واهب أَلحا

ني وَيَأملهم فَني

ني وَيَأملهم فَني

You, O giver of my melodies—

I but fashion from your generosity a beggar and a supplicant

and my art hopes for them—

The charm of your eyes is but what enchants me

أَنتَ فَجَرت لي اللَحن

أَنتَ فَجَرت لي اللَحن

فَفيأتك أَمني

فَفيأتك أَمني

you made the melody gush for me,

O you hopes which I worship in every hue

so I shaded you with my peace.

And you songs which a genius inspires

إِنَّما أَصنَع مِن كَرَ

إِنَّما أَصنَع مِن كَرَ

مك صَهباني وَدَني

مك صَهباني وَدَني

I fashion only from your generosity

And which the poet melts in mellifluous voice

my wine and my wine-jar.

Whenever the lute takes flight with it and the singer interprets

إِنَّما سحر عَينيك

إِنَّما سحر عَينيك

بِما تَسحر مِني

بِما تَسحر مِني

The spell of your eyes lies only

A being with two fluttering wings pulsates

in what you enchant in me.

It crosses every heart and envelops every ear

يا أَماني الَّتي أَعبدها

يا أَماني الَّتي أَعبدها

في كُل لَون

في كُل لَون

O my hopes, which I worship

Thus O naïve one, my beauty flows in your beauty

in every hue,

And thus does my power infiltrate and my sorrow seduce you

وَأَغاني الَّتي أَلهمها

وَأَغاني الَّتي أَلهمها

ملهم جن

ملهم جن

and my songs, which were inspired

by a jinn inspirer,

وَالَّتي ذَوّبها الشا

وَالَّتي ذَوّبها الشا

عر في الصَوت الأَغَن

عر في الصَوت الأَغَن

and which the poet melted

into the sweetly nasal voice—

كُلَّما طارَ بِها العُ

كُلَّما طارَ بِها العُ

ود وَفراها المَغني

ود وَفراها المَغني

whenever the lute takes flight with them

and the singer fashions them,

خَفقت ذات جَناح

خَفقت ذات جَناح

ين مدو وَمَرن

ين مدو وَمَرن

they flutter with two wings,

resounding and ringing;

عَبرت كُل فُؤاد

عَبرت كُل فُؤاد

وَتَغشت كُل اذن

وَتَغشت كُل اذن

they pass through every heart

and envelop every ear.

هَكَذا يَدفق يا نا

هَكَذا يَدفق يا نا

عس في حُسنك حُسني

عس في حُسنك حُسني

Thus, O drowsy one, flows

my beauty into your beauty.

وَكَذا يُنفذ سُلطا

وَكَذا يُنفذ سُلطا

ني وَيَستَهويك حُزني

ني وَيَستَهويك حُزني

And thus my authority is enforced,

and my sorrow enthralls you.