وشادنٍ شادٍ أتى زائراً

وشادنٍ شادٍ أتى زائراً

واللَّيلُ مُرخي جانِبي بُردهِ

واللَّيلُ مُرخي جانِبي بُردهِ

And a singing fawn came to visit,

A happy visitor came,

while night let fall both sides of its cloak.

While the night spread its cold around.

بدا فقلتُ البدرُ في تمِّهِ

بدا فقلتُ البدرُ في تمِّهِ

شدا فقلتُ الطيرُ في رَندهِ

شدا فقلتُ الطيرُ في رَندهِ

He appeared; I said, “The moon in its fullness!”

It appeared, so I said the full moon rises,

He sang; I said, “The bird in its laurel tree!”

It drew near, so I said the bird twitters.

نورٌ بخدّيهِ بدا زاهياً

نورٌ بخدّيهِ بدا زاهياً

فنارُ وجدي مِن سنا وقدِهِ

فنارُ وجدي مِن سنا وقدِهِ

A light appeared, radiant upon his cheeks,

Light shone on his cheeks,

and my passion's fire sprang from the radiance of his blaze.

So the fire of my passion was kindled by his incense.

راحَ بقلبي في الهوى طاعناً

راحَ بقلبي في الهوى طاعناً

برمحهِ المهزوزِ مِن قدِّهِ

برمحهِ المهزوزِ مِن قدِّهِ

He set about piercing my heart in love,

He pierced my heart with love,

with the swaying spear of his stature.

With his shaking spear from his height.

وسلَّ مِن أجفانهِ صارِماً

وسلَّ مِن أجفانهِ صارِماً

فقطّعَ الأحشاءَ في غِمدِهِ

فقطّعَ الأحشاءَ في غِمدِهِ

And he drew a keen sword from his eyelids,

And he drew his sword from his eyelids,

which cut my entrails apart while still in its sheath.

So it cut through my insides in its sheath.

فاعجب لسيفٍ لازمٍ جفنهُ

فاعجب لسيفٍ لازمٍ جفنهُ

جُرحُ فؤادي بشبا حدِّهِ

جُرحُ فؤادي بشبا حدِّهِ

So marvel at a sword that never leaves its sheath:

A wonder, a sword tied to his eyelid,

my heart is wounded by the sharpness of its edge.

The wound of my heart by the keenness of its edge.

ناعسُ طرفٍ بات مِن هزلهِ

ناعسُ طرفٍ بات مِن هزلهِ

يُفيدُ طرفي الجِدَّ في سُهدِهِ

يُفيدُ طرفي الجِدَّ في سُهدِهِ

Drowsy-eyed, he spent the night, through his playfulness,

A sleepy eyelid passed the night jesting,

teaching my eyes earnestness in their sleepless vigil.

My watchful eyes gain seriousness in its daze.

وليلةٍ قد متّعتني بهِ

وليلةٍ قد متّعتني بهِ

يخلُطُ ودِّي بجنَي وُدِّهِ

يخلُطُ ودِّي بجنَي وُدِّهِ

And a night brought me delight in him,

A night that gave me pleasure through him,

as he mingled my love with the fruit of his own.

Mixing my affection with his love.

جادَ بحقِّ الزّورِ مِن بعدما

جادَ بحقِّ الزّورِ مِن بعدما

شحَّ بزورِ الطّيفِ في صَدِّهِ

شحَّ بزورِ الطّيفِ في صَدِّهِ

He generously granted a visitor's due, after

He was generous with the truth after

begrudging even his phantom's visit while shunning me.

He was stingy with the phantom of dreams.

فَبِتُّ واللّيلةُ قد قُصِّرت

فَبِتُّ واللّيلةُ قد قُصِّرت

بطولِ أكبابي على نَهدِهِ

بطولِ أكبابي على نَهدِهِ

So I passed the night, and the night was shortened

So I stay awake and the night is shortened

by my long bending over his breast.

By my vigil on his chest.

قريرَ عينٍ جادَ لي قُربُهُ

قريرَ عينٍ جادَ لي قُربُهُ

بكلِّ ما أمَّلتُ في بُعدِهِ

بكلِّ ما أمَّلتُ في بُعدِهِ

My eyes content, his nearness granted me

The sight of a fawn came generously close,

all I had hoped for while he was far away.

With all I had wished for in its distance.

يُعلُّني من ريقهِ قهوةً

يُعلُّني من ريقهِ قهوةً

بالباردِ المصبُوبِ في شهدِهِ

بالباردِ المصبُوبِ في شهدِهِ

He plied me with wine from his saliva,

It makes me drink coffee from its saliva

with cool water poured into his honey.

Poured cold in its honey.

ذهلت مِن فرطِ سُروري بهِ

ذهلت مِن فرطِ سُروري بهِ

ذهلةَ عانٍ فُكَّ مشن قَيدِه

ذهلةَ عانٍ فُكَّ مشن قَيدِه

I was dazed by my overwhelming joy in him,

I swooned from joy over him,

like a captive's daze when freed from his bonds.

The swoon of a captive just freed from his chains.

فسالَ ماءُ الدّمعِ وجداً كما

فسالَ ماءُ الدّمعِ وجداً كما

جُمِّد ماءُ الحسنِ في خَدِّهِ

جُمِّد ماءُ الحسنِ في خَدِّهِ

So the water of tears flowed in rapture, just as

So tears flowed passionately as

beauty's water had congealed in his cheek.

Beauty's water froze on his cheek.

بكى على ضُرِّي بهِ رحمةً

بكى على ضُرِّي بهِ رحمةً

وقد يلينُ المرءُ في شدِّهِ

وقد يلينُ المرءُ في شدِّهِ

He wept in pity for my suffering through him,

He cried over my pain out of mercy,

and a person may soften even in his sternness.

When harshness softens in intensity.

كأنَّما الدّمعُ على خدّهِ

كأنَّما الدّمعُ على خدّهِ

تساقُطُ الطّلّ على وَردِهِ

تساقُطُ الطّلّ على وَردِهِ

It was as though the tears upon his cheek

As if the tears on his cheek

were dew falling upon his rose.

Were drops of dew falling on roses.

فدمعُهُ المنثورُ مِن سِلكهِ

فدمعُهُ المنثورُ مِن سِلكهِ

وثغرُهُ المنظومُ في عِقدِهِ

وثغرُهُ المنظومُ في عِقدِهِ

So his tears were scattered from their string,

His scattered tears from his braids

and his teeth were strung in their necklace.

And his strung lips in his necklace.

متى أعادَ الدّهرُ لي مِثلها

متى أعادَ الدّهرُ لي مِثلها

أَعتدُّها للدّهرِ مِن عندِهِ

أَعتدُّها للدّهرِ مِن عندِهِ

Whenever time restores to me another such night,

If time brings me its like again

I shall credit it to time, as its own gift.

I will count it from time itself.

سقاكَ كأسَ الغيثِ كفُّ الحيا

سقاكَ كأسَ الغيثِ كفُّ الحيا

على خفيفِ الوزنِ من رعدِهِ

على خفيفِ الوزنِ من رعدِهِ

May the hand of rain give you a cup of showers to drink,

The rain clouds poured you a cup

to the light rhythm of its thunder.

Rhythmically, from its thunder.