بَدرٌ سَبى الناسَ حَتّى الشَمسُ قَد كَلِفَت

بَدرٌ سَبى الناسَ حَتّى الشَمسُ قَد كَلِفَت

بِحُسنِهِ وَتَعَنَّت في مَعانيهِ

بِحُسنِهِ وَتَعَنَّت في مَعانيهِ

A full moon has captivated the people—even the sun has become enamored

The moon outshone people until the sun was charged

of his beauty and grown obstinate over his meanings.

With its beauty and stubbornness in its meanings

تَبدو إِذا ما تَبَدّى وَجهُهُ وَإِذا

تَبدو إِذا ما تَبَدّى وَجهُهُ وَإِذا

ما غابَ غابَت بِعَيني في مَغانيهِ

ما غابَ غابَت بِعَيني في مَغانيهِ

She appears whenever his face appears, and whenever

It appears when its face appears and when

he vanishes, she vanishes from my sight in his abodes.

It is absent, it is absent in my eyes in its songs

فَلا أَرى اللَيلَ إِلّا في تَباعُدِهِ

فَلا أَرى اللَيلَ إِلّا في تَباعُدِهِ

وَلا أَرى الصُبحَ إِلّا في تَدانيهِ

وَلا أَرى الصُبحَ إِلّا في تَدانيهِ

So I see night only in his remoteness,

So I see the night only in its distance

and I see dawn only in his nearness.

And I see the dawn only in its approach