وَغِزلانِ إِنسٍ قَد طَرَقتُ بِسُدفَةٍ

وَغِزلانِ إِنسٍ قَد طَرَقتُ بِسُدفَةٍ

فَلَم تَكتَحِل أَجفانُهُم بِرُقادِ

فَلَم تَكتَحِل أَجفانُهُم بِرُقادِ

And I have visited human gazelles in the darkness;

With human does my spirit hold converse at night,

so their eyelids were not kohled with sleep.

Yet sleep seals not their eyes throughout the dark.

يَقُلنَ لَنا يا لَيتَ ذا اللَيلَ سَرمَداً

يَقُلنَ لَنا يا لَيتَ ذا اللَيلَ سَرمَداً

عَلَينا وَلا نَخشى عِيونَ أَعادِ

عَلَينا وَلا نَخشى عِيونَ أَعادِ

They say to us, "Oh, would that this night lasted forever

"Would that this night might last eternally,

over us, and we need not fear the eyes of foes!"

No hostile eyes could spy and mark our tryst."

فُؤادِيَ مَشغوفٌ وَسَيفِيَ صارِمٌ

فُؤادِيَ مَشغوفٌ وَسَيفِيَ صارِمٌ

فَهَذا لِإِبعادي وَذا لِسُعادِ

فَهَذا لِإِبعادي وَذا لِسُعادِ

My heart is love-stricken, and my sword is sharp;

My heart is filled with love, my sword is drawn,

so this is for my keeping foes at bay, and that for Su'ad.

To drive off foes, or speed my feet to bliss.