لاحت لنا في جُنحِ لَيلٍ داجِ

بسراجِ بَهْجَةِ حُسْنها الوهَاج

In the folds of a dark night, there appeared

A lamp with the radiance of her beautiful light,

وَثَنَتْ بناناً بالسّلامِ تَحيّةً

وَرَنَتْ بطرفٍ فاتكٍ غَنّاجِ

She greeted us with a salutation of peace

And sang with a charming, flirty glance.

فَرَمَتْ قلوب العاشقينَ بأسهم

فَعَلمْتُ أني لَسْتُ منها ناجِ

The hearts of lovers were struck by her arrows,

I knew then that I was not immune.

لولا مَراِشفُها العذابُ لما صَبا

قلبي لرشْفِ مُدامةٍ بزُجاجِ

If not for the torment of her pillows, never would

My heart have sipped the wine of her cheek’s rose.

وَلَثَمْتُ مَبْسمَها وَوَرْدَ خُدودها

فَنَعَمْتُ بالورَادِ والثّلاج

I kissed her smile and the roses of her cheeks,

Enjoying the bouquet and the icicles.

يا ريمَ رامةَ قد فُطرتُ على الهوى

طفلاً وَدَبَّ العِشقُ في أمشاجي

O Reyma, O wild doe, I was created

To love since childhood, when desire seeped into my being.

وَخُلقْتُ من مرَ النَسيمِ لطافةً

وَجَرى الغرامُ مُخالطاً لمزاجي

I was formed of the gentle breeze’s bitterness,

And passion flowed, mingling with my temperament.

فلذاك أهوى كُلَّ قَدٍّ أملَدٍ

ويروقُ طرفي كلَّ طرفٍ ساجي

So I love every languid form,

And my eyes delight in every charming glance.

وأظل أُطربُ كلَّ سمعٍ مُنشداً

غَزّلاً وَمَدْحاً في المقرِّ التَاجي

I remain enchanted by every singing voice,

Flirting and praising with an ornate crown.

فاق المدائحَ وَصْفُهُ مُتَرَفّعاً

فقعدانَ عنه كأنهنَ أهاجي

Description of him transcends praise,

As if competing beyond grasp.

وَعَلا على كُلِّ الأنامِ مَكانةً

وَسَنا عُلُوَّ الشّمس في الأَبراجِ

He attained the highest stature of all people,

And attained the height of the sun in the zodiac.

كالنيلّ نَيلاً للوَليِّ ورُبَما

أردى الأعادي منه بالأَمواج

Like the Nile, a Nile to the Saint, and sometimes,

He destroys enemies with his waves.