يا حَبَّذا ليلةٌ لنا سَلَفَت

يا حَبَّذا ليلةٌ لنا سَلَفَت

أغرَت بنفسي الهَوى وقد عَرفت

أغرَت بنفسي الهَوى وقد عَرفت

Oh, how lovely was a night of ours gone by!

Oh, what a night we once had!

It incited desire against my soul, though it knew full well.

Passion seduced my soul, and I knew

دارَت بظلمائها المُدامُ فكم

دارَت بظلمائها المُدامُ فكم

نَرجِسَةٍ مِن بنفسَجٍ قُطِفَت

نَرجِسَةٍ مِن بنفسَجٍ قُطِفَت

Wine went round in its darkness—and how many

The wine cups circled in its darkness. So many

a narcissus was plucked from violets!

Narcissus flowers were plucked from hyacinth.

ثم انطوى ثَوبُها ومِن أَسَفٍ

ثم انطوى ثَوبُها ومِن أَسَفٍ

أَن صرَفَت لَوعَتِي وما انصَرفَت

أَن صرَفَت لَوعَتِي وما انصَرفَت

Then its robe was folded away—and it is cause for sorrow

Then its cloak folded, and from sorrow

that it turned aside my anguish, yet my anguish did not depart.

That it deflected my agony, but did not itself defect.