لا هَجَعتْ عينٌ جَفَتْ هَجْعَهْ

لا هَجَعتْ عينٌ جَفَتْ هَجْعَهْ

ولا رَقَت من دمعها دمعه

ولا رَقَت من دمعها دمعه

May no eye that has forsaken a spell of sleep ever slumber,

May no eye that spurned Hajʿa ever sleep,

nor may a tear among all its tears ever cease.

Nor may a single one of its tears cease to flow.

غنَّت فلو أسْطيعُ عُجْباً لها

غنَّت فلو أسْطيعُ عُجْباً لها

أَقْطَعتُها من مهجتي قِطعَهْ

أَقْطَعتُها من مهجتي قِطعَهْ

She sang—and if I could, in wonder at her,

She sang; if I could, out of admiration for her,

I would cut out for her a piece of my very heart.

I would grant her a portion of my lifeblood.

جاريةٌ لو أدركت بِدعَةً

جاريةٌ لو أدركت بِدعَةً

إِذن لكانت عندها بِدعَه

إِذن لكانت عندها بِدعَه

A maiden—if she apprehended a novelty,

A slave girl who, had she met Bidʿa,

then it would indeed be a novelty in her keeping.

would then have been a marvel in her eyes.

تخلعُ إِن غنَّت على قلب مَن

تخلعُ إِن غنَّت على قلب مَن

غنَّت له من طَرَبٍ خِلعَه

غنَّت له من طَرَبٍ خِلعَه

When she sings, she bestows upon the heart of the one

When she sings, she clothes the heart of whomever

to whom she sings, out of rapture, a robe.

she sings for in a robe of rapture.

جاريةٌ تَثني على عُودها

جاريةٌ تَثني على عُودها

قطعةَ جُمَّارٍ على طَلْعَه

قطعةَ جُمَّارٍ على طَلْعَه

A maiden bending over her oud—

A slave girl who bends over her lute

a piece of tender palm-heart above its blossom.

a piece of palm-heart over a palm-blossom cluster.

تُغني عن المجمرِ طيباً

تُغني عن المجمرِ طيباً

تُحوجُ في الليل إلى شمعَه

تُحوجُ في الليل إلى شمعَه

In fragrance, she makes the incense burner needless;

Her fragrance makes the censer needless;

at night, she makes one need a candle.

at night she makes a candle necessary.