زارَتْ أُمَيْمَةُ وَالظَّلْماءُ تَعْتَكِرُ

زارَتْ أُمَيْمَةُ وَالظَّلْماءُ تَعْتَكِرُ

وَالنَّجْمُ يَخْطِرُ في أَلحاظِهِ السَّهَرُ

وَالنَّجْمُ يَخْطِرُ في أَلحاظِهِ السَّهَرُ

Umayma visited while the darkness was thickening,

Umaymah came to visit while the darkness was still murky,

And sleeplessness flitted through the star's glances.

And the stars were twinkling, keeping night's vigil.

فَبِتُّ وَالوَجْدُ يَطْويني وَيَنْشُرُني

فَبِتُّ وَالوَجْدُ يَطْويني وَيَنْشُرُني

حَتّى رَأَيْتُ فُروعَ الصُّبْحِ تَنْتَشِرُ

حَتّى رَأَيْتُ فُروعَ الصُّبْحِ تَنْتَشِرُ

So I spent the night, longing folding and unfolding me,

I spent the night consumed by passion which ignited and spread through me

Until I saw dawn's branches spreading.

Until I saw the branches of dawn begin to unfold.

أُلْقي إِلَيْها أَحَادِيثاً تَلينُ لَنا

أُلْقي إِلَيْها أَحَادِيثاً تَلينُ لَنا

مُتونُها وَدُموعُ العَيْنِ تَبْتَدِرُ

مُتونُها وَدُموعُ العَيْنِ تَبْتَدِرُ

I tell her tales that grow tender for us

I confided in her words which softened between us -

In their substance, while tears from the eye rush forth.

Their essence and the tears welling in my eyes spoke volumes.

وَلي إِذا خَالسَتْنِي القَوْلَ أَوْ سَفَرَتْ

وَلي إِذا خَالسَتْنِي القَوْلَ أَوْ سَفَرَتْ

عَنْ وَجْهِها ما اشْتَهاه السَّمْعُ وَالبَصَرُ

عَنْ وَجْهِها ما اشْتَهاه السَّمْعُ وَالبَصَرُ

And I have, when she secretly exchanges words with me or unveils

And if she ever deprived me of her words or traveled away

Her face, what hearing and sight have desired.

From her beauty, which hearing and sight had coveted,

فَلَسْتُ أَدْري وَذَيْلُ اللَّيْلِ يَسْتُرَنا

فَلَسْتُ أَدْري وَذَيْلُ اللَّيْلِ يَسْتُرَنا

أَتِلْكَ في حُسْنِها أَبْهى أَمِ القَمرُ

أَتِلْكَ في حُسْنِها أَبْهى أَمِ القَمرُ

So I do not know, while night's hem conceals us:

I wouldn't know, as the night's hem concealed us,

Is she, in her beauty, more radiant, or is the moon?

Whether she in her splendor, or the moon, shone brighter.