بَدَت تَختالُ في ذَيلِ النَعيمِ

بَدَت تَختالُ في ذَيلِ النَعيمِ

كَما مالَ القَضيبُ مَعَ النَسيمِ

كَما مالَ القَضيبُ مَعَ النَسيمِ

She appeared, swaying proudly in the trailing robe of bliss,

She began to strut in the gown of bliss

As a slender branch bends with the breeze.

As the rod sways with the breeze

وَأَشرَقَ صُبحُ واضِحَها فَوَلّى

وَأَشرَقَ صُبحُ واضِحَها فَوَلّى

هَزيعُ اللَيلِ في جَيشٍ هَزيمِ

هَزيعُ اللَيلِ في جَيشٍ هَزيمِ

And the dawn of her gleaming teeth shone, so away fled

And the dawn of her beauty shone then fled

A watch of night amid a routed host.

The defeated night in a routed army

وَكَفُّ الصُبحِ قَد سَلَّت نِصالاً

وَكَفُّ الصُبحِ قَد سَلَّت نِصالاً

تُخَرِّقُ حُلَّةَ اللَيلِ البَهيمِ

تُخَرِّقُ حُلَّةَ اللَيلِ البَهيمِ

And dawn's hand had unsheathed blades

And the palms of dawn unsheathed blades

That tear through the robe of pitch-black night.

That ripped the raiment of the brute night

وَأَجَّجَ مِن شُعاعِ الشَمسِ ناراً

وَأَجَّجَ مِن شُعاعِ الشَمسِ ناراً

أَذابَ لَهيبُها بَردَ النُجومِ

أَذابَ لَهيبُها بَردَ النُجومِ

And it kindled a fire from the sun's rays,

And ignited with the sun’s rays, a fire

Whose flame melted the chill of the stars.

Whose flames melted the cool of stars

فَتاةٌ كَالهِلالِ فَإِن تَجَلَّت

فَتاةٌ كَالهِلالِ فَإِن تَجَلَّت

أَرَتنا البَدرَ في حالٍ ذَميمِ

أَرَتنا البَدرَ في حالٍ ذَميمِ

A maiden like the crescent moon; if she reveals herself,

A girl like the crescent, if she appears

She makes the full moon look unlovely to us.

She shows us the full moon in dire straits

وَكُنتُ بِها أَحَبَّ بَني هِلالٍ

وَكُنتُ بِها أَحَبَّ بَني هِلالٍ

فَمُذ تَمَّت هَوَيتُ بَني تَميمِ

فَمُذ تَمَّت هَوَيتُ بَني تَميمِ

And for her sake I used to love Banu Hilal;

And I loved the crescent folk through her

But since she reached perfection, I have loved Banu Tamim.

Since my passion turned to Tamim’s sons

بِخَصرٍ مِثلِ عاشِقِها نَحيلٍ

بِخَصرٍ مِثلِ عاشِقِها نَحيلٍ

وَطَرفٍ مِثلِ مَوعِدِها سَقيمِ

وَطَرفٍ مِثلِ مَوعِدِها سَقيمِ

With a waist as slender as her lover,

With a waist like her lover’s, slender

And a gaze as sickly as her promise,

And a glance like her tryst’s, sick

وَقَدٍّ لَو يَمُرُّ بِهِ نَسيمٌ

وَقَدٍّ لَو يَمُرُّ بِهِ نَسيمٌ

لَكادَ يَؤودُهُ مَرُّ النَسيمِ

لَكادَ يَؤودُهُ مَرُّ النَسيمِ

And a figure that, if a breeze passed over it,

And a form, if a breeze would pass it

The breeze's passage would almost weigh it down.

The passing breeze would nearly undo it

أَيا ذاتَ اللَمى رِفقاً بِصَبٍّ

أَيا ذاتَ اللَمى رِفقاً بِصَبٍّ

يُراعي ذِمَّةَ العَهدِ القَديمِ

يُراعي ذِمَّةَ العَهدِ القَديمِ

O dark-lipped one, be gentle with a lovesick man

O she of allurement, gently, please

Who honors the bond of the old pledge.

Regard the pact of old, esteem it

يُعَلَّلُ مِن وِصالِكِ بِالأَماني

يُعَلَّلُ مِن وِصالِكِ بِالأَماني

وَيَقنَعُ مِن رِياضِكِ بِالهَشيمِ

وَيَقنَعُ مِن رِياضِكِ بِالهَشيمِ

He is consoled with hopes of union with you,

He reasons from your union with wishes

And is content with dry stubble from your gardens.

And contents himself with your meadow’s chaff

نَظَرتُ إِلَيكِ فَاِستَأسَرتِ قَلبي

نَظَرتُ إِلَيكِ فَاِستَأسَرتِ قَلبي

فَأَدرَكَني الشَقاءُ مِنَ النَعيمِ

فَأَدرَكَني الشَقاءُ مِنَ النَعيمِ

I looked at you, and you took my heart captive;

I looked at you, you captured my heart

So misery overtook me through bliss.

And wretchedness befell me from the bliss

فَطَرفي مِن خُدودِكِ في جِنانٍ

فَطَرفي مِن خُدودِكِ في جِنانٍ

وَقَلبي مِن صُدودِكِ في جَحيمِ

وَقَلبي مِن صُدودِكِ في جَحيمِ

So my gaze, thanks to your cheeks, is in gardens of paradise,

My eyes enjoy your cheeks in heavens

And my heart, because you turn away, is in hell.

While my heart burns from your scorn in hell

أَرى سَقَمَ الجُفونِ بَرى فُؤادي

أَرى سَقَمَ الجُفونِ بَرى فُؤادي

وَعَلَّمَني مُكابَدَةَ الهُمومِ

وَعَلَّمَني مُكابَدَةَ الهُمومِ

I see the sickness of the eyelids has worn my heart away,

I see my lids’ sickness, and my heart’s certainty

And taught me to endure sorrows.

And it taught me to endure sorrows

لَعَلَّ الحُبُّ يَرفُقُ بِالرَعايا

لَعَلَّ الحُبُّ يَرفُقُ بِالرَعايا

وَيَأخُذُ لِلبَريءِ مِنَ السَقيمِ

وَيَأخُذُ لِلبَريءِ مِنَ السَقيمِ

Perhaps Love will be gentle with its subjects,

May love show mercy to the guiltless

And exact justice for the innocent from the sick.

And care for the ill from the healthy