زارَت عَلى حَذرٍ من الرُّقَباءِ

زارَت عَلى حَذرٍ من الرُّقَباءِ

واللَّيْلُ مُلْتَفٌّ بِفَضْلِ رِداءِ

واللَّيْلُ مُلْتَفٌّ بِفَضْلِ رِداءِ

She came to visit, wary of the watchers,

She visited cautiously, wary of spies

while night was wrapped in a cloak's trailing folds.

And the night wrapped in its cloak's excess

تَصِلُ الدُّجى بِسَوادِ فَرْعٍ فاحمٍ

تَصِلُ الدُّجى بِسَوادِ فَرْعٍ فاحمٍ

لِتَزيدَ ظَلماءً إلى ظَلماءِ

لِتَزيدَ ظَلماءً إلى ظَلماءِ

She joins the night's darkness to the blackness of her coal-black tresses,

The gloom connects with the darkness of a dense branch

to add darkness to darkness.

To further add darkness to darkness

فَوشَى بِها مِنْ وَجْهِها وحُلِيِّها

فَوشَى بِها مِنْ وَجْهِها وحُلِيِّها

بَدرُ الدُّجى وكواكبُ الجَوْزاءِ

بَدرُ الدُّجى وكواكبُ الجَوْزاءِ

Then, from her face and jewels, she was betrayed by

The moon of gloom and stars of Aldebaran illuminated her face and jewelry

the full moon of night and the stars of Orion.

Greetings to a visitor at the risk of secrecy

أهْلاً بِزائِرةٍ على خَطَر السُّرى

أهْلاً بِزائِرةٍ على خَطَر السُّرى

ما كنتُ أرْجوها لِيَوْمِ لِقاءِ

ما كنتُ أرْجوها لِيَوْمِ لِقاءِ

Welcome to a visitor who braved the perils of night travel—

I did not expect her on the day of meeting

I had never hoped for a day of meeting with her.

I swear if not for virtuous modesty

أقْسَمْتُ لولا عِفَّةٌ عُذْرِيَّةٌ

أقْسَمْتُ لولا عِفَّةٌ عُذْرِيَّةٌ

وتُقىً عَليَّ لَهُ رقيبٌ رائي

وتُقىً عَليَّ لَهُ رقيبٌ رائي

I swore: were it not for ʿUdhri chastity

And piety over me with a watchful guardian

and piety, with its watchful guardian over me,

I would have poured out the agony of my affliction by her consent

لنَقَعْتُ غُلَّةَ لَوْعَتي بِرُضابِها

لنَقَعْتُ غُلَّةَ لَوْعَتي بِرُضابِها

ونَضَحْتُ وَرْدَ خُدودِها بِبُكائي

ونَضَحْتُ وَرْدَ خُدودِها بِبُكائي

I would have quenched my longing's thirst with her saliva

And sprinkled the rose of her cheeks with my tears

and sprinkled the roses of her cheeks with my tears.