نَسَجوا مِنَ اللَيلِ الشُعورا

نَسَجوا مِنَ اللَيلِ الشُعورا

وَجَلَوا مِنَ الصُبحِ البُدورا

وَجَلَوا مِنَ الصُبحِ البُدورا

They wove tresses from the night,

They wove the feelings from the night

And unveiled full moons from the dawn,

And extracted the pearls from the dawn

وَلَوَوا مِنَ القُضبانِ وَال

وَلَوَوا مِنَ القُضبانِ وَال

كُثبِ الرَوادِفَ وَالخُصورا

كُثبِ الرَوادِفَ وَالخُصورا

And fashioned from branches and

They twisted the prison bars and the

sand dunes the hips and waists.

Ribs of the saddles and the chests

إِن قُلتُ يَحكونَ النُجو

إِن قُلتُ يَحكونَ النُجو

مَ صَدَقتُ يَحكُوهُنَّ نورا

مَ صَدَقتُ يَحكُوهُنَّ نورا

If I say they resemble the stars,

If I said they told of stars

I speak truly: they match them in radiance.

I was right, they tell of lights

وَمَتى سَمِعتَ بِنَجمِ أُف

وَمَتى سَمِعتَ بِنَجمِ أُف

قٍ لَيسَ يَألَفُ أَن يَغورا

قٍ لَيسَ يَألَفُ أَن يَغورا

And when have you heard of a star on the horizon

And when did you hear of a falling star

that is not accustomed to setting?

That does not dislike to disappear

أَو قُلتُ يَحكونَ الظِبا

أَو قُلتُ يَحكونَ الظِبا

ءِ فَلَم أُرِد إِلّا النُفورا

ءِ فَلَم أُرِد إِلّا النُفورا

Or if I say they resemble gazelles,

Or if I said they told of gazelles

I mean only their shying away.

I meant nothing but aloofness

وَمَتى رَأَيتَ الظَبيَ إِن

وَمَتى رَأَيتَ الظَبيَ إِن

مارَيتَ يَكتَنِسُ الصُدورا

مارَيتَ يَكتَنِسُ الصُدورا

And when have you seen a gazelle—if

And when you saw the gazelle

you dispute this—take shelter in breasts?

You saw it hides in the chests

أَو قُلتَ ريقَتُها المُدا

أَو قُلتَ ريقَتُها المُدا

مُ فَلَم تَذُق مِنها الثُغورا

مُ فَلَم تَذُق مِنها الثُغورا

Or if you say their saliva is wine,

Or if I said their saliva is sweet

then you have not tasted their mouths.

It did not taste the wounds

فَإِذا سَأَلتَ عَنِ الهَوى

فَإِذا سَأَلتَ عَنِ الهَوى

فَاِسأَل بِهِ مِنهُم خَبيرا

فَاِسأَل بِهِ مِنهُم خَبيرا

So if you ask about love,

So if you asked about love

then ask an expert on it among them.

Ask the experts about it

وَمُؤَيَّدِ الفَتَكاتِ لَو

وَمُؤَيَّدِ الفَتَكاتِ لَو

جُمِعَ المِلاحُ غَدا أَميرا

جُمِعَ المِلاحُ غَدا أَميرا

And one mighty in deadly assaults—if

And the supporter of murders

the fair ones were gathered, he would become their prince.

If gathered, salt would be a prince

وَكَأَنَّما هُوَ جَنَّةٌ

وَكَأَنَّما هُوَ جَنَّةٌ

حَمَلَت مِنَ النارِ السَعيرا

حَمَلَت مِنَ النارِ السَعيرا

And it is as though he were a garden

As if it is a garden

that bore a blaze of fire.

That carried from the hellfire burning brands

نَجمٌ يُوَزِّعُها شُمو

نَجمٌ يُوَزِّعُها شُمو

ساً ثُمَّ يَسقيها بُدورا

ساً ثُمَّ يَسقيها بُدورا

A star who portions it out as suns,

A star that distributes to it suns

then serves it as full moons.

Then waters it with pearls

لي فيكَ مَسأَلَتانِ وَه

لي فيكَ مَسأَلَتانِ وَه

مي ظَلَّ دونَهُما قَصيرا

مي ظَلَّ دونَهُما قَصيرا

I have two questions about you; my understanding

I have two questions about you

has remained too limited to fathom them.

And I remained short of them

جَمرٌ بِخَدِّكَ كَيفَ يَب

جَمرٌ بِخَدِّكَ كَيفَ يَب

قى ذا العِذارُ بِهِ نَضيرا

قى ذا العِذارُ بِهِ نَضيرا

Embers on your cheek—how does

A coal on your cheek, how can

this cheek-down stay fresh upon it?

That reproach remain unique to it

بَرَدٌ بِثَغرِكَ كَيفَ أَر

بَرَدٌ بِثَغرِكَ كَيفَ أَر

شُفُهُ فَيورِثُني سَعيرا

شُفُهُ فَيورِثُني سَعيرا

Hail in your mouth—how can I sip

Coolness on your lips, how can I be

it, and have it kindle a blaze in me?

Satisfied with it and inherit burning