كَم لَيلَةٍ ذاتِ أَجراسٍ وَأَروِقَةٍ

كَم لَيلَةٍ ذاتِ أَجراسٍ وَأَروِقَةٍ

كَاليَمِّ يَقذِفُ أَمواجاً بِأَمواجِ

كَاليَمِّ يَقذِفُ أَمواجاً بِأَمواجِ

How many a night of bells and porticoes,

How many a night of bells and arched halls,

Like the sea, hurling wave against wave!

Like a sea casting wave after wave.

فَالزَوُّ وَالجَوسَقُ المَيمونُ قابَلَهُ

فَالزَوُّ وَالجَوسَقُ المَيمونُ قابَلَهُ

غَنجُ الصَبيحِ الَّذي يُدعى بِصَنّاجِ

غَنجُ الصَبيحِ الَّذي يُدعى بِصَنّاجِ

So al-Zaww and the auspicious Jawsaq found their match

The good fortune and success faced it,

In the coy grace of the fair one called Sannaj.

The dawn of youth called Shennag.

بِسُرَّ مَرّا سَرى هَمّي وَسامَرَني

بِسُرَّ مَرّا سَرى هَمّي وَسامَرَني

لَهوٌ نَفى الهَمَّ عَن قَلبي بِإِخراجِ

لَهوٌ نَفى الهَمَّ عَن قَلبي بِإِخراجِ

In Surra Marra my care slipped away, and I was kept company

With the secret of Mera did my care freely flow,

By revelry that drove sorrow out of my heart.

And joy that chased sorrow from my heart with exile.

سامَرتُها بَرَشاً كَالغُصنِ يَجذِبُهُ

سامَرتُها بَرَشاً كَالغُصنِ يَجذِبُهُ

حِقفانِ مِن هائِلٍ بِالرَملِ رَجراجِ

حِقفانِ مِن هائِلٍ بِالرَملِ رَجراجِ

I spent it in night-talk with a fawn, like a branch tugged

I conversed with her gently, like a branch pulled

By two curved dunes of vast, quivering sand.

By the beaks of a mighty bird in the drifting sands.

كَأَنَّما وَجهُهُ وَالشَعرُ يُلبِسُهُ

كَأَنَّما وَجهُهُ وَالشَعرُ يُلبِسُهُ

بَدرٌ تَنَفَّسَ في ذي ظُلمَةٍ داجِ

بَدرٌ تَنَفَّسَ في ذي ظُلمَةٍ داجِ

As though his face, with hair clothing it,

Her face and the hair that adorns it,

Were a full moon breathing in a night of deepest darkness.

A full moon breathed in a dark night.

وَسنانَ يَفتَرُّ عَن سِمطَينِ مِن بَرَدٍ

وَسنانَ يَفتَرُّ عَن سِمطَينِ مِن بَرَدٍ

صافٍ وَفي الصَدرِ تُفّاحٌ مِنَ العاجِ

صافٍ وَفي الصَدرِ تُفّاحٌ مِنَ العاجِ

Drowsy, he smiles, revealing two strings of hailstones,

And teeth that gleam like chilly beads

Clear; upon his chest are apples of ivory.

Of pure white, and in her breast apples of ivory.

يَسعى بِمِثلِ فَتيتِ المِسكِ صافِيَةٍ

يَسعى بِمِثلِ فَتيتِ المِسكِ صافِيَةٍ

كَأَنَّ مُستَنَّها مِن شَخبِ أَوداجِ

كَأَنَّ مُستَنَّها مِن شَخبِ أَوداجِ

He hastens with clear wine like powdered musk,

She sways with the scent of musk, pure and clean,

As though its stream came from spurting jugular veins.

As if her wrapper were of the plumes of Udage.

ما زِلتُ في حَسَناتِ اللَيلِ في مَهَلٍ

ما زِلتُ في حَسَناتِ اللَيلِ في مَهَلٍ

حَتّى أَساءَت عُيونُ الصُبحِ إِزعاجي

حَتّى أَساءَت عُيونُ الصُبحِ إِزعاجي

I lingered at ease amid the delights of night,

I remained in the delights of night at leisure,

Until the eyes of dawn rudely disturbed me.

Till the eyes of dawn disturbed me with disdain.

أَرَدتُ غِرَّتَهُ وَالسُكرُ يوهِمُهُ

أَرَدتُ غِرَّتَهُ وَالسُكرُ يوهِمُهُ

أَن قَد نَجا وَهوَ مِنّي غَيرُ ما ناجِ

أَن قَد نَجا وَهوَ مِنّي غَيرُ ما ناجِ

I sought his unguarded moment, while drunkenness led him to think

I wanted her flirtation, and the wine deceived him

That he had escaped, though he had not escaped me at all.

That he had escaped, while he was not saved from me.

فَظَلَّ يَسقي بِماءِ المُزنِ مِن أَسَفٍ

فَظَلَّ يَسقي بِماءِ المُزنِ مِن أَسَفٍ

وَرداً وَيَلطِمُ ديباجاً بِديباجِ

وَرداً وَيَلطِمُ ديباجاً بِديباجِ

So, in sorrow, he kept watering with raincloud water

So he remained, watering a budding rose in sorrow,

Roses, and slapping brocade with brocade.

And rending brocade with brocade in lament.