يا لَيلَتي تَزدادُ نُكرا

مِن حُبِّ مَن أَحبَبتُ بِكرا

O my night that grows stranger

With love of her whom I loved as a maiden

حَوراءُ إن نَظَرَت إلَيكَ سَقَت

كَ سَقَتكَ بِالعَينَينِ خَمرا

If a houri looked at you, she would give you to drink

As she gave you to drink wine with her eyes

وَكَأَنَّ رَجعَ حَديثِها

قِطَعُ الرِياضِ كُسينَ زَهرا

And as if the return of her talk

Were clusters of blossoms plucked from gardens

وَكَأَنَّ تَحتَ لِسانِها

هاروتَ يَنفُثُ فيهِ سِحرا

And as if beneath her tongue

Harut were breathing magic into it

وَتَخالُ ما جَمَعَت عَلَي

هِ ثِيابَها ذَهَباً وَعِطرا

And you’d think what she had gathered on her

Of gold and perfume were only her raiment

وَكَأَنَّها بَردُ الشَرا

بِ صَفا وَوافَقَ مِنكَ فِطرا

And as if she were spring rain

With serenity, created just for you

جِنِّيَّةٌ إِنسِيَّةٌ

أَو بَينَ ذاكَ أَجَلُّ أَمرا

A Jinniyah or human

Or something between, more wondrous still

وَكَفاكَ أَنّي لَم أُحِط

بِشَكاةِ مَن أَحبَبتُ خُبرا

And it’s enough that I know nothing

Of the plaint of her whom I loved

إِلّا مَقالَةَ زائِرٍ

نَثَرَت لِيَ الأَحزانَ نَثرا

Except the words of a visitor

Who scattered sorrows broadcast for me

مُتَخَشِّعاً تَحتَ الهَوى

عَشراً وَتَحتَ المَوتِ عَشرا

Humbly enslaved by passion

For ten years, and by death for ten

تُنسي الغَوِيَّ مَعادَهُ

وَتَكونُ لِلحُكَماءِ ذِكرا

It makes the heedless forget their return

And gives the wise something to remember