سَقى المَطيرَةَ ذاتَ الظِلِّ وَالشَجَرِ

وَدَيرَ عِبدَونَ هَطّالٌ مِنَ المَطَرِ

The rainwatered place with shade and trees

And the monastery of Abdu'n was pouring rain

فَطالَما نَبَّهَتني لِلصَبوحِ بِها

في غُرَّةِ الفَجرِ وَالعُصفورُ لَم يَطِرِ

For long it has awakened me for dawn with it

In the prime of dawn, and the sparrow had not flown

أَصواتُ رُهبانِ دَيرٍ في صَلاتِهِمُ

سودِ المَدارِعِ نَعّارينَ في السَحَرِ

Voices of the monks of a monastery in their prayers

Black-robed, chanting in the dawn

مُزَنَّرَينَ عَلى الأَوساطِ قَد جَعَلوا

عَلى الرُؤوسِ أَكاليلاً مِنَ الشَعرِ

Dressed in belts at the waists, they have made

On the heads garlands of hair

كَم فيهِمُ مِن مَليحِ الوَجهِ مُكتَحِلٍ

بِالسِحرِ يُطبِقُ جَفنَيهِ عَلى حَوَرِ

How many fair of face among them, kohl-lined

With magic he closes his eyelids over the pupil

لاحَظتُهُ بِالهَوى حَتّى اِستَقادَ لَهُ

طَوعاً وَأَسلَفَني الميعادَ بِالنَظَرِ

I watched him passionately until he yielded

Willingly and promised me the rendezvous with a glance

وَجاءَني في قَميصِ اللَيلِ مُستَتِراً

يَستَعجِلُ الخَطوَ مِن خَوفٍ وَمِن حَذَرِ

And he came to me in the shirt of night, stealthily

Hastening his steps in fear and in caution

فَقُمتُ أَفرِشُ خَدَّي في الطَريقِ لَهُ

ذُلّاً وَأَسحَبُ أَذيالي عَلى الأَثَرِ

So I rose, laying my cheek in the road for him

Humbled, dragging my train behind the footsteps

وَلاحَ ضَوءُ هِلالٍ كادَ يَفضَحُنا

مِثلَ القُلامَةِ قَد قُدَّت مِنَ الظُفُرِ

And the light of a crescent appeared, nearly exposing us

Like an inky-black raven freshly dyed

فَكانَ ما كانَ مِمّا لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

فَظُنَّ خَيراً وَلا تَسأَل عَنِ الخَبَرِ

So what happened, happened, of what I shall not recall

Think well, and do not ask about the news