يا لَيلَةً نِلتُ فيها اللَهوَ وَالوَطَرا

كُرّي عَلَينا وَإِلّا فَاِطرُدي الذِكَرا

O night when I attained joy and delirium

Come back to us, else banish all memory

لَمّا اِلتَقَينا اِفتَرَعنا في تَعاتُبِنا

مِنَ الحَديثِ وَمِن لَذّاتِهِ العُذَرا

When we met, we quarreled while reproaching

With talk, and with the excuses of blame

إِذا اِستَتَرنا بِسِترِ اللَيلِ بادَرَنا

كَيما يَرانا عَمودُ الصُبحِ فَاِنفَجَرا

When we took cover under the veil of night

Lest the pillar of dawn sees us burst open

قالَت أَأَقرَرتَ بِالإِجرامِ قُلتُ نَعَم

لَو كانَ جُرمي عَلى الإِقرارِ مُغتَفَرا

She said, did you admit to the crime? I said yes

If my crime with admission were forgivable

سَأَدَّعي ذَنبَ غَيري كَي يُصَدِّقَني

مَن لا أُرَجّي لَدَيهِ العَفوَ إِن قَدَرا

I will claim the guilt of another so he believes me

One from whom I have no hope of pardon, if able

قَد أَولَعَتهُ بِطولِ الهَجرِ غِرَّتُهُ

لَو كانَ يَعلَمُ طولَ الهَجرِ ما هَجَرا

His pride made him shun me for so long

Had he known the pain of estrangement, he'd not have shunned

ما تُغمِضُ العَينُ مُذ غُلِّقتُ حُبَّكُمُ

إِلّا إِذا خالَسَها عَينُكَ النَظَرا

My eye hasn't closed since I fell for you

Except when your eye secretly peeks

أَسهَرتُموني أَنامَ اللَهُ أَعيُنَكُم

لَسنا نُبالي إِذا ما نِمتِ مَن سَهِرا

You kept me up, may God grant your eyes sleep

We care not who slumbers if one stays awake

فَاِستَضحَكَت ثُمَّ قالَت لا تَكُن نَزِقاً

وَاِكتُم حَديثِكَ لا تُعلِم بِهِ بَشَرا

She laughed then said "Don't be so timid

And hide your words, let no man know of them

فَقَد غَفَرتُ لَكَ الذَنبَ الَّذي زَعَموا

لا بارَكَ اللَهُ فيمَن بَعدَ ذا غَدَرا

For I've forgiven you the sin they claimed

God damn whoever after this betrays"

وَقَصَّرَ اللَيلُ عَن حاجاتِ أَنفُسِنا

كَذاكَ لَيلُ التَلاقي رُبَّما قَصُرا

The night was too short for our souls' needs

Just as the night of union may be brief

قامَت تَمَشّى الهُوَينا نَحوَ قُبَّتِها

وَقُمتُ أَمشي خَفِيَّ الشَخصِ مُستَتِرا

She got up, walking bashfully towards her dome

And I got up walking stealthily, hidden

لَمّا بَدا القَمَرُ اِستَحيَت فَقُلتُ لَها

بَعضَ الحَياءِ فَإِنَّ الحُبَّ قَد ظَهَرا

When the moon rose she shied, so I said to her

"Be somewhat shy, for love has appeared"

أَلقَت عَلى وَجهِها هُدّابَ خامَتِها

وَنازَعَتني بِكَأسِ الوَحشَةِ الخَفَرا

She dropped her veil over her face

And contested me with a cup of separation

تُكاتِمُ القَمَرَ الوَجهَ الَّذي ضَمِنَت

وَالوَجهُ مِنّها تَرى في مائِهِ القَمَرا

She hides her face from the moon though she swore

Her face in its water sees the moon

ثُمَّ اِفتَرَقنا فَضَمَّنّا سَرائِرَنا

دونَ القُلوبِ وَفاءَ العَهدِ وَالخَطَرا

Then we parted, secreting in our hearts

Trust, fidelity, peril beyond souls

لَم نَأمَن اللَيلَ حَتّى حينَ فُرقَتِنا

كَأَنَّما اللَيلُ يَقفو خَلفَنا الأَثَرا

We didn't feel safe from night till our parting

As though night trails us, tracking our steps

قالوا اِشتَهَرتَ فَقُلتُ الحُبُّ صاحِبُهُ

مَن لا يَزالُ بِهِ في الناسِ مُشتَهِرا

They said "you're notorious," I said "love's companion

Is one who remains notorious amongst people"

وَرُبَّ يَومٍ بِيَومِ اللَهوِ مُتَعَجِرٍ

خَلَعتُ فيهِ إِلى لَذّاتِهِ العُذُرا

And many a day of delirium, rough and disorderly

I've stripped for its pleasures all excuse

وَكَأسِ راحٍ يُميتُ الهَمَّ شارِبُها

باكَرتُها وَرِداءُ اللَيلِ قَد حَسَرا

And a cup of respite that kills care for its drinker

I tasted it, as night's cloak unfurled

صَبَّ المِزاجُ عَلَيها الحَلى فَاِضطَرَبَت

كَأَنَّ في حافَتَيها الدُرَّ وَالشِذَرا

The wine poured pearls and seeds into it, so it shook

As if its rim held pearls and beads