عَجِبَت فَطمَةُ مِن نَعتي لَها

هَل يُجيدُ النَعتَ مَكفوفُ البَصَر

Fatima was amazed at my praise of her

Can a blind man excel in praise?

بِنتُ عَشرٍ وَثلاثٍ قُسِّمَت

بَينَ غُصنٍ وَكثيبٍ وَقَمَر

A girl of thirteen divided

Among a branch, a dune, and a moon

دُرَّةٌ بَحرِيَّةٌ مَكنونَةٌ

مازَها التاجِرُ مِن بَينِ الدُرَر

A hidden sea pearl

That the merchant could not distinguish among the pearls

أَذرَتِ الدَمعَ وَقالَت وَيلَتي

مِن وَلوعِ الكَفِّ رَكّابِ الخَطَر

She shed a tear and said "Woe is me!

From the burning anguish of bold gamblers."

أُمَّتا بَدَّدَ هَذا لُعَبي

وَوِشاحي حَلَّهُ حَتّى اِنتَثَر

O my beloved, this toy of mine is scattered

And my scarf is untied and scattered about.

فَدَعيني مَعَهُ يا أُمَّتا

عَلَّنا في خَلوَةٍ نَقضي الوَطَر

So let me be with you my beloved

To fulfill our desire in privacy

أَقبَلَت مُغضَبَةً تَضرِبُها

وَاِعتَراها كَجُنونٍ مُستَعِر

She came angry, beating him,

And madness overcame her like a raging fire

بِأَبي وَاللَهِ ما أَحسَنَهُ

دَمعَ عَينٍ يَغسِلُ الكُحلَ قَطَر

By my father I swear, nothing was finer

Than a teardrop washing kohl and dripping.

أَيُّها النُوّامُ هُبّوا وَيحَكُم

وَاِسأَلوني اليَومَ ما طَعمُ السَهر

O sleepers, arise and restrain yourselves

And ask me today about the taste of wakefulness.