يَا لَيْلَةَ فَاجَأْتُ سِرْبَ الغِيدِ

فِي مَجْمَعٍ يَصْنَعْنَ حَلوى العِيدِ

O night that surprised the flock of stars

In a gathering making sweets for Eid

يُخْرِجْنَ مِنْ كُتَلِ العَجِينِ بَدَائِعاً

أَمْثَالَ كُلِّ مُشَخَّص مَشْهُودِ

They make from lumps of dough wonders

Like all things with breath made and seen

ويُجِدْنَهَا فَلَوِ الشَِّفَاهَ تَعَفَّفَتْ

عَنْ أَكْلِهَا لَضَمِنْتُهَا لخُلُودِ

And they color their lips, though lips refused

To eat them, I'd have guaranteed eternity

بأَنَاملٍ بِيضٍ تَكَادُ تَظُنُّها

مَخْضُوبَةً بِدَمٍ مِنَ التَّوْرِيدِ

With white fingers you'd think were dyed

With blood from veins in effusion freed

وَزُنُودِ عَاجٍ عُرِّقَتْ بِزُمُرُّدٍ

آيَاتُ حُسْنٍ فِي شُكُولِ زُنُودِ

And ivory statues stained with emeralds

Signs of beauty in the forms of statues

رُوِّعْنَ حِينَ قَدِمْتُ ثُمَّ أَنِسْنَ لِي

وَرَضِينَ بِي فِي المَحْفِلِ المَعْقُودِ

They shied when I arrived then grew friendly to me

And were pleased with me in the gathering convened

فَثوَيْتُ بَيْنَ مَناطِقٍ وَقَرَاطِقٍ

وَمَبَاسِمٍ وَمَا عَاصِمٍ وَنُهُودِ

So I lodged among sashes and anklets

And smiles, oaths, and bending necks

مِنْ كُلِّ طَاوِيَةِ الحَشَى مَمْشُوقَةٍ

رَيَّا الخُدُودِ كَحَبَّة العُنْقُودِ

Of all the plump cheeked girls, bites

Rosy cheeked as grapes clustered

سَلاَّبَةٍ خَلاَّبَةٍ غَلاَّبَةٍ

بِاللَّفْظِ أَوْ بِاللَّحْظِ أَوْ بِالجِيدِ

Tempting, tricking, prevailing

In speech, glance, or sway of the neck

لَوْلا هَوىً يُصْبِي الحَلِيمَ لَمَا ثَوى

مَثْوَى الإِنَاثِ أَخْو الرِّجَالِ الصِيدِ

Were it not for love that makes the wise act the fool

I'd not have lodged among the ladies, my peers the men

شَأْنِي مُكَافَحَةُ الخُطُوبِ إِذَا دَجَا

نَقْعُ الحَوَادِثِ فِي اللَّيَالِي السُّودِ

My task is battling disasters when night falls

Events stumble in the black nights

شَأْنِي مُطَارَدَةُ الضَّلاَلَةِ بِالهُدَى

أَسْتَنْزِلُ الإلهَامَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدِ

My task is pursuing the right path with guidance

I seek inspiration not far out of reach

شَأْنِي التَّطلُّعُ لِلعَلاَءِ وإِنَّما

هَذِي السَّماءُ وَأَنْتِ شَمْسُ وُجُودِي

My concern is aspiring high, for you are

My sky, and you are the sun of my being

أَنْتِ الحَقِيقَةَ فِي الحَيَاةِ وَكَاذِبٌ

غَيْرُ الهَوَى لِلمَائِتِ المَلحُودِ

You are the truth in life, and love speaks

Falsehoods when the loved one passes

إِنْ أَسْعَفْتَنَا سَاعَةٌ مِنْهُ فَقَدْ

أَرْبَتْ بِغِبْطَتِهَا عَلَى التَّخلِيدِ

If you bless us one hour, then through its joy

You would gain eternity and be immortalized

أَمَّا العَظَائِمِ وَالعُلَى فَمَشَاغِلٌ

خُلِقَتْ مِنَ التَّفكِيرِ وَالتَّسهِيدِ

But greatness and nobility are pursuits

Born of thought and careful aim

لاَ تَمْلأُ القَلْبَ الخَلِيَّ وَدَأبُهَا

نَهْكُ القُوَى فِي شِقْوَةٍ وَسُعُودِ

They do not fill the empty heart whose wont

Is to exhaust strength in misery and grief

أَدَواتُ لَهْوٍ نَسْتَعِينُ بِهَا عَلَى

سَيْرٍ عَسِيرٍ فِي الحَيَاةِ كَؤُودِ

Tools of leisure we use to aid

Our hard journey in life, ever-bent

أَشْبَاهُ مَا يُعْطَى مَنَ الثَّمَر امْرُؤٌ

فِي زَادِ تَرْحَالٍ عَلَيْهِ شَدِيدِ

Things like fruit given to one

On a long hard road under strain

وَلَعَلَّ غَايَةَ كُلِّ طَالِبِ رِفْعَةٍ

إِرْضَاءُ ذَاتِ سلاَسِلٍ وَعُقودِ

And perhaps every seeker's highest aim

Is to please one bound in chains

فَيَكُونُ عِيدُ العُمْرِ سَاعَةَ مُلْتَقىً

وَأَعَزُّ مَا نَرْجُوهُ حَلْوَى العِيدِ

So life's celebration is the hour

We meet, and sweetest what we hope from Eid