وَفي أُذنِكَ الجَوزاءُ قُرطاً مُعَلَّقاً

وَلِلنَّجمِ في يُمناكَ ضِغثُ بَهارِ

With an earring of green chrysolite dangling in your ear,

And for the star in your right side, a fresh sprig.

وَأَنتَ هِلالٌ بَل أَقولُ غَزالَةٌ

وَحَولَكَ سِربٌ لا أَقولُ دَراري

You're a crescent, no - I should say a gazelle,

With a flock around not a herd.

كَما قُلتُ ما بالي أَرى اللَيل سَرمَداً

وَإِلّا فَلِم لا يَنجَلي بِنَهارِ

As I said why do I see the night eternal?

Otherwise why doesn't it make way for daylight?

يَقولونَ طالَ اللَيلُ وَاللَيلُ لَم يَطُل

وَهَل فيهِ بَينَ العاشِقينَ تَماري

They say the night is long but it's not long.

Is there any rivalry between lovers in it?

إِذا جَنَّ لَيلُ الحُبِّ لَم يَدرِ نائِمٌ

بِهِ ما يُقاسي هائِمٌ وَيُداري

When the night of love comes none sleeping knows

What the roving lover endures and contests.

وَقالوا تَجَلّى بِالمَشيبِ عِذارُهُ

فَقُلتُ تَجَلّى بِالمَشيبِ عِذاري

And they said his passion appeared with his gray hair,

But I said my passion appeared with my gray hair.

فَجاشَت لَها مِنهُم صُدورٌ كَأَنَّها

غُمودُ سُيوفٍ وَالسُيوفُ عَواري

Their breasts surged against her as if they were

The curved blades of swords and the swords naked.

وَلَو شِئتُ ثارَت بَينَنا حَربُ عاشِقٍ

يَكونُ بِها ثَوبُ السَقامِ شِعاري

Had I wished, there would have arisen between us a war of lovers

With the garb of resignation my banner.

وَلكِن عَدَتني يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ عَنهُمُ

عَوادي خُطُوبٍ في الخُطُوبِ كِبارِ

But you, daughter of goodness, restrained me from them

Customs of great ardors in ardors.

رَكِبتُ لَها بَحرَ الزُقاقِ تَعَمُّداً

وَلِلفُلكِ بَينَ العَدوَتَينِ تَباري

For you I braved the sea of the lanes deliberately

With my boat between the two banks vying.

بِحَيثُ اِلتَقى البَحرانِ وَالمَوتُ عازِمٌ

يُساوِرُنا مِن يَمنَةٍ وَيَسارِ

Where the two seas met and death was intent

To beset us from the right and left.