قد أودعته الناس أسرارها

كأنه للسر نعم المقر

People confided in him their secrets

As if he were the best keeper of secrets

ألحانه تقبيل أهل الهوى

وهمس من يحلو لديه السهر

His melodies are the kisses of the passionate

And the whispers of those who love to stay up late

ونوح محزون شكا همه

يثير شكواه حفيف الشجر

And the sad lament of one who complained of his worries

Which makes the rustling of trees stir

يزيدها البلبل من لحنه

ما شاءه البلبل وقت السحر

The nightingale increases them with his tune

Whatever the nightingale wants at dawn

أسراره نجهل مكنونها

يهتكها البدر إذا ما سفر

His hidden secrets we do not know

Revealed by the moon when it travels

في هجعة الليل ومن سره

يستولد الليل عقول البشر

In the stillness of night and from his secret

The night begets the minds of people

هل يعجب العقل إذا ما رأى

في ظلمة الليل شموس الفكر

Does the mind rejoice when it sees

In the dark of night the suns of thought?

في صدره يهجع أهل التقى

ويسهر الصب يناجى القمر

In his chest rest the people of piety

While the young stay up conversing with the moon

في صدره تضحك بنت الهوى

وضحكها عنوان ذاك الكدر

In his chest laughs the daughter of passion

And her laugh is a sign of that distress

في صدره يقتل من قد رأى

في عيشه الضنك وذاق الضجر

In his chest he kills those who have seen

In their life misery and tasted boredom

يخاله السارق ثوباً إذا

رماه تلقاه عيون البشر

He seems to the thief like a gown if

He casts it, it is picked up by people's eyes

ويجزع الصنديد خوفا إذا

رآه ما بين القبور انتشر

And the sentry cries out in fear when

He sees him spread out among the graves

يموت في اليوم ويحيا به

هل يهزأ الليل بحكم القدر

He dies in the day and lives through it

Does the night mock the judgment of fate?