إِنسانَةُ الحَيِّ أَم أُدمانَةُ السَمُرِ

بِالنِهي رَقَّصَها لَحنٌ مِنَ الوَتَرِ

A human or an addict of nightly vigils?

A melody strummed on strings made her dance decorously.

حَوراءُ لَو نَظَرَت يَوماً إِلى حَجَرٍ

لَأَثَّرَت سَقَماً في ذَلِكَ الحَجَر

If an houris were to glance at a stone one day,

She would leave lovesickness in that stone.

يَزدادُ تَوريدُ خَدَّيها إِذا لُحِظَت

كَما يَزيدُ نَباتُ الأَرضِ بِالمَطَرِ

The roses on her cheeks grow rosier when she's seen

As plants thrive more with a rain shower.

فَالوَردُ وَجنَتُها وَالخَمرُ رِيقَتُها

وَضُوءُ بَهجَتِها أَضوا مِن القَمَرِ

Roses are her cheeks, wine is her saliva,

And the sheen of her beauty outshines the moon.

يا مَنَ رَأى الخَمرَ في غَيرِ الكُرُومِ وَمَن

هَذا رَأى نَبتَ وَردٍ في سِوى الشَجَرِ

O you who saw wine in something other than vines

And who saw rosebuds growing on something other than trees!

كادَت تَرِفُّ عَلَيها الطَيرُ مِن طَرَبٍ

لَمّا تَغَنَّت بِتَغرِيدٍ عَلى وَتَرِ

The birds nearly fluttered around her out of rapture

When she sang melodiously to the strings’ tune.

بِاللَهِ يا ظَبَياتِ القاعِ قُلنَ لَنا

لَيلاي مِنكُنَّ أَم لَيلى مِنَ البَشَرِ

By God, gazelles of the valley, tell us:

Are you Lailas or is Laila one of mankind?

بانَت لَنا بِعُيُونٍ مِن بَراقِعِها

مَملُوءَةٍ مُقَلَ الغِزلانِ وَالبَقَرِ

With eyes behind her veils she glanced at us,

Full of the batting of gazelles and cattle's gaze.

يا ما أُمَيلِحَ غِزلاناً شَدَنَّ لضنا

مِن هَؤُليائِكُنَّ الضالِ وَالسَمُرِ

O you whose amorous ogling has made fawns from us,

Straying and keeping nightly vigils because of you!