بَدا البدرُ في الظَّلماءِ وَالحِبُّ زائِري

بَدا البدرُ في الظَّلماءِ وَالحِبُّ زائِري

وَطَرفي وطرف الحِبِّ لَيسَ بِغامِضِ

وَطَرفي وطرف الحِبِّ لَيسَ بِغامِضِ

The full moon appeared in the darkness while my beloved was visiting me.

The moon rose in the darkness, and you, my love, came to visit me.

And neither my eye nor my beloved's eye was closed.

My eyes and your eyes of love are not veiled in ambiguity.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما أَجهل البدرَ إِذ بَدا

فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما أَجهل البدرَ إِذ بَدا

فَهَلّا اِختَشى مِنك الخُسوف فَلا يُضي

فَهَلّا اِختَشى مِنك الخُسوف فَلا يُضي

So I said to him: how ignorant the full moon was when it appeared!

I said to it: How ignorant is the moon that rose unveiled!

Why did it not fear eclipse by you and so refrain from shining?

Why did it not fear being eclipsed by you and fail to shine?

فَقَابله في شَمسِ الجَبينِ وغرَّةٍ

فَقَابله في شَمسِ الجَبينِ وغرَّةٍ

أَضاءَت وَفي مِسكِ العِذارِ وَعارِضِ

أَضاءَت وَفي مِسكِ العِذارِ وَعارِضِ

So face it with your forehead's sun and a radiant brow

It faced on your sunlike brow and rose cheek

That shone, and with the musk of your sideburns and cheek-whiskers.

A light that illuminated the perfume of coquetry and eyelid.