يَا لَيْلَةَ فَاجَأْتُ سِرْبَ الغِيدِ

يَا لَيْلَةَ فَاجَأْتُ سِرْبَ الغِيدِ

فِي مَجْمَعٍ يَصْنَعْنَ حَلوى العِيدِ

فِي مَجْمَعٍ يَصْنَعْنَ حَلوى العِيدِ

O night when I surprised a flock of graceful women,

O night that surprised the flock of stars

At a gathering where they were making feast-day sweets.

In a gathering making sweets for Eid

يُخْرِجْنَ مِنْ كُتَلِ العَجِينِ بَدَائِعاً

يُخْرِجْنَ مِنْ كُتَلِ العَجِينِ بَدَائِعاً

أَمْثَالَ كُلِّ مُشَخَّص مَشْهُودِ

أَمْثَالَ كُلِّ مُشَخَّص مَشْهُودِ

They fashion marvels from lumps of dough,

They make from lumps of dough wonders

Likenesses of every tangible thing one sees.

Like all things with breath made and seen

ويُجِدْنَهَا فَلَوِ الشَِّفَاهَ تَعَفَّفَتْ

ويُجِدْنَهَا فَلَوِ الشَِّفَاهَ تَعَفَّفَتْ

عَنْ أَكْلِهَا لَضَمِنْتُهَا لخُلُودِ

عَنْ أَكْلِهَا لَضَمِنْتُهَا لخُلُودِ

And perfect them; so, if lips refrained

And they color their lips, though lips refused

From eating them, I would pledge them immortality.

To eat them, I'd have guaranteed eternity

بأَنَاملٍ بِيضٍ تَكَادُ تَظُنُّها

بأَنَاملٍ بِيضٍ تَكَادُ تَظُنُّها

مَخْضُوبَةً بِدَمٍ مِنَ التَّوْرِيدِ

مَخْضُوبَةً بِدَمٍ مِنَ التَّوْرِيدِ

With white fingertips that you might almost imagine

With white fingers you'd think were dyed

Dyed with blood, so rose-red is their hue;

With blood from veins in effusion freed

وَزُنُودِ عَاجٍ عُرِّقَتْ بِزُمُرُّدٍ

وَزُنُودِ عَاجٍ عُرِّقَتْ بِزُمُرُّدٍ

آيَاتُ حُسْنٍ فِي شُكُولِ زُنُودِ

آيَاتُ حُسْنٍ فِي شُكُولِ زُنُودِ

And ivory forearms veined with emerald—

And ivory statues stained with emeralds

Wonders of beauty in the forms of forearms.

Signs of beauty in the forms of statues

رُوِّعْنَ حِينَ قَدِمْتُ ثُمَّ أَنِسْنَ لِي

رُوِّعْنَ حِينَ قَدِمْتُ ثُمَّ أَنِسْنَ لِي

وَرَضِينَ بِي فِي المَحْفِلِ المَعْقُودِ

وَرَضِينَ بِي فِي المَحْفِلِ المَعْقُودِ

They were startled when I came, then warmed to me,

They shied when I arrived then grew friendly to me

And accepted my presence at the convened assembly.

And were pleased with me in the gathering convened

فَثوَيْتُ بَيْنَ مَناطِقٍ وَقَرَاطِقٍ

فَثوَيْتُ بَيْنَ مَناطِقٍ وَقَرَاطِقٍ

وَمَبَاسِمٍ وَمَا عَاصِمٍ وَنُهُودِ

وَمَبَاسِمٍ وَمَا عَاصِمٍ وَنُهُودِ

So I lingered among girdles and tunics,

So I lodged among sashes and anklets

And smiling mouths, and [apparently wrists], and breasts,

And smiles, oaths, and bending necks

مِنْ كُلِّ طَاوِيَةِ الحَشَى مَمْشُوقَةٍ

مِنْ كُلِّ طَاوِيَةِ الحَشَى مَمْشُوقَةٍ

رَيَّا الخُدُودِ كَحَبَّة العُنْقُودِ

رَيَّا الخُدُودِ كَحَبَّة العُنْقُودِ

Of every slender-waisted, tall and graceful woman,

Of all the plump cheeked girls, bites

Plump-cheeked, like a grape in a cluster,

Rosy cheeked as grapes clustered

سَلاَّبَةٍ خَلاَّبَةٍ غَلاَّبَةٍ

سَلاَّبَةٍ خَلاَّبَةٍ غَلاَّبَةٍ

بِاللَّفْظِ أَوْ بِاللَّحْظِ أَوْ بِالجِيدِ

بِاللَّفْظِ أَوْ بِاللَّحْظِ أَوْ بِالجِيدِ

Heart-stealing, beguiling, overpowering,

Tempting, tricking, prevailing

By speech, or glance, or neck.

In speech, glance, or sway of the neck

لَوْلا هَوىً يُصْبِي الحَلِيمَ لَمَا ثَوى

لَوْلا هَوىً يُصْبِي الحَلِيمَ لَمَا ثَوى

مَثْوَى الإِنَاثِ أَخْو الرِّجَالِ الصِيدِ

مَثْوَى الإِنَاثِ أَخْو الرِّجَالِ الصِيدِ

But for passion that beguiles the sober, he would not dwell

Were it not for love that makes the wise act the fool

In women's quarters—a brother of proud men.

I'd not have lodged among the ladies, my peers the men

شَأْنِي مُكَافَحَةُ الخُطُوبِ إِذَا دَجَا

شَأْنِي مُكَافَحَةُ الخُطُوبِ إِذَا دَجَا

نَقْعُ الحَوَادِثِ فِي اللَّيَالِي السُّودِ

نَقْعُ الحَوَادِثِ فِي اللَّيَالِي السُّودِ

My calling is to battle calamities when darkens

My task is battling disasters when night falls

The dust of misfortunes amid the black nights.

Events stumble in the black nights

شَأْنِي مُطَارَدَةُ الضَّلاَلَةِ بِالهُدَى

شَأْنِي مُطَارَدَةُ الضَّلاَلَةِ بِالهُدَى

أَسْتَنْزِلُ الإلهَامَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدِ

أَسْتَنْزِلُ الإلهَامَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدِ

My calling is to hunt down error with guidance;

My task is pursuing the right path with guidance

I draw down inspiration, not far off.

I seek inspiration not far out of reach

شَأْنِي التَّطلُّعُ لِلعَلاَءِ وإِنَّما

شَأْنِي التَّطلُّعُ لِلعَلاَءِ وإِنَّما

هَذِي السَّماءُ وَأَنْتِ شَمْسُ وُجُودِي

هَذِي السَّماءُ وَأَنْتِ شَمْسُ وُجُودِي

My calling is to aspire to the heights; yet

My concern is aspiring high, for you are

This is heaven, and you are the sun of my existence.

My sky, and you are the sun of my being

أَنْتِ الحَقِيقَةَ فِي الحَيَاةِ وَكَاذِبٌ

أَنْتِ الحَقِيقَةَ فِي الحَيَاةِ وَكَاذِبٌ

غَيْرُ الهَوَى لِلمَائِتِ المَلحُودِ

غَيْرُ الهَوَى لِلمَائِتِ المَلحُودِ

You are the truth in life, and false is

You are the truth in life, and love speaks

All but love for the mortal destined for the grave.

Falsehoods when the loved one passes

إِنْ أَسْعَفْتَنَا سَاعَةٌ مِنْهُ فَقَدْ

إِنْ أَسْعَفْتَنَا سَاعَةٌ مِنْهُ فَقَدْ

أَرْبَتْ بِغِبْطَتِهَا عَلَى التَّخلِيدِ

أَرْبَتْ بِغِبْطَتِهَا عَلَى التَّخلِيدِ

If an hour of it comes to our aid, it has indeed

If you bless us one hour, then through its joy

Surpassed immortality in its bliss.

You would gain eternity and be immortalized

أَمَّا العَظَائِمِ وَالعُلَى فَمَشَاغِلٌ

أَمَّا العَظَائِمِ وَالعُلَى فَمَشَاغِلٌ

خُلِقَتْ مِنَ التَّفكِيرِ وَالتَّسهِيدِ

خُلِقَتْ مِنَ التَّفكِيرِ وَالتَّسهِيدِ

As for great deeds and eminence, they are preoccupations

But greatness and nobility are pursuits

Born of thought and sleeplessness.

Born of thought and careful aim

لاَ تَمْلأُ القَلْبَ الخَلِيَّ وَدَأبُهَا

لاَ تَمْلأُ القَلْبَ الخَلِيَّ وَدَأبُهَا

نَهْكُ القُوَى فِي شِقْوَةٍ وَسُعُودِ

نَهْكُ القُوَى فِي شِقْوَةٍ وَسُعُودِ

They do not fill the empty heart; their wont is

They do not fill the empty heart whose wont

To wear down strength in misery and good fortune.

Is to exhaust strength in misery and grief

أَدَواتُ لَهْوٍ نَسْتَعِينُ بِهَا عَلَى

أَدَواتُ لَهْوٍ نَسْتَعِينُ بِهَا عَلَى

سَيْرٍ عَسِيرٍ فِي الحَيَاةِ كَؤُودِ

سَيْرٍ عَسِيرٍ فِي الحَيَاةِ كَؤُودِ

Tools of diversion we enlist to help us on

Tools of leisure we use to aid

A hard, uphill journey through life,

Our hard journey in life, ever-bent

أَشْبَاهُ مَا يُعْطَى مَنَ الثَّمَر امْرُؤٌ

أَشْبَاهُ مَا يُعْطَى مَنَ الثَّمَر امْرُؤٌ

فِي زَادِ تَرْحَالٍ عَلَيْهِ شَدِيدِ

فِي زَادِ تَرْحَالٍ عَلَيْهِ شَدِيدِ

Like the fruit that a man is given

Things like fruit given to one

Among provisions for a journey hard upon him.

On a long hard road under strain

وَلَعَلَّ غَايَةَ كُلِّ طَالِبِ رِفْعَةٍ

وَلَعَلَّ غَايَةَ كُلِّ طَالِبِ رِفْعَةٍ

إِرْضَاءُ ذَاتِ سلاَسِلٍ وَعُقودِ

إِرْضَاءُ ذَاتِ سلاَسِلٍ وَعُقودِ

And perhaps the aim of every seeker of eminence

And perhaps every seeker's highest aim

Is to please a woman with chains and necklaces.

Is to please one bound in chains

فَيَكُونُ عِيدُ العُمْرِ سَاعَةَ مُلْتَقىً

فَيَكُونُ عِيدُ العُمْرِ سَاعَةَ مُلْتَقىً

وَأَعَزُّ مَا نَرْجُوهُ حَلْوَى العِيدِ

وَأَعَزُّ مَا نَرْجُوهُ حَلْوَى العِيدِ

So life's feast is an hour of meeting,

So life's celebration is the hour

And the dearest thing we hope for is feast-day sweets.

We meet, and sweetest what we hope from Eid