مَرَّ بِنا وَهوَ بَدرُ تَمٍّ

يَسحَبُ مِن ذَيلِهِ سَحابا

He passed by us, a full moon

Dragging clouds in his train

بِقامَةٍ تَنثَني قَضيباً

وَغُرَّةٍ تَلتَظي شِهابا

With a tall, swaying figure

And a cheek flashing with light

يَقرَأُ وَاللَيلُ مُدلَهِمٌّ

لِنورِ إِجلائِهِ كِتابا

Reciting while the night lowered its veil

Illuminated by his shining face

وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ سَهِرتُ فيهِ

أَزجُرُ مِن جِنحِهِ نِكابا

Many a night have I spent awake

Repelling with my eyelids his dazzling rays

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ مالَ سُكراً

وَشَقَّ سِربالَهُ وَجابا

Until the night swayed drunkenly

And tore its dark garments

وَحامَ مِن سُدفِهِ غُرابٌ

طالَت بِهِ سِنُّهُ فَشابا

And there flew from its breast a raven

Whose long life had turned it hoary

اِزدَدتُ مِن لَوعَتي خَبالاً

فَحَثَّ مِن غُلَّتي شَرابا

My torment redoubled

And I rinsed my throat with a draught

وَما خَطا قادِماً فَوافى

حَتّى اِنثَنى ناكِصاً فَآبا

But he went straight on his way

And turned not back though I summoned him

وَبَينَ جَفنَيَّ بَحرُ شَوقٍ

يَعُبُّ في وَجنَتي عُبابا

Between my eyes surged a sea of longing

Storming wildly on my cheeks

قَد شَبَّ في وَجهِهِ شُعاعٌ

وَشَبَّ عَن قَلبِهِ اِلتِهابا

Light glowed from his face

And passion flamed in his heart

وَرَوضَةٍ طَلقَةٍ حَياءً

غَنّاءَ مُخضَرَّةٍ جَنابا

A meadow, soft and shy

A singing flower-garden

يَنجابُ عَن نورِها كِمامٌ

يَحُطُّ عَن وَجهِهِ نِقابا

Shaded by a veil that screens

The beauty underneath its drape

باتَ بِها مِبسَمُ الأَقاحي

يَرشُفُ مِن طَلِّها رُضابا

On which smiles a rosebud

Sipping from its brimming cup

وَمِن خُفوقِ البُروقِ فيها

أَلوِيَةٌ جُمِّرَت خِضابا

And in it lightnings flash

Dyed red as with henna

كَأَنَّها أَنمُلٌ وِرادٌ

تَحصُرُ قَطرَ الحَيا حِسابا

As if it were a lily-white palm

Measuring out the water of life