يا لَيلةً لَمّا نَأى بَدرُها

يا لَيلةً لَمّا نَأى بَدرُها

عَن أُفقِهِ باتَ إِلى جَنْبي

عَن أُفقِهِ باتَ إِلى جَنْبي

O, what a night! When its full moon withdrew

O night when its full moon set

from his horizon, he spent the night beside me,

Beyond the horizon, by my side it lay.

ضَجيعَ جِسمي وَغَرامِي بهِ

ضَجيعَ جِسمي وَغَرامِي بهِ

ضَجيع أسرارِيَ في قلبي

ضَجيع أسرارِيَ في قلبي

my body's bedfellow, while my passion for him

My body and my love for it

was the bedfellow of my secrets in my heart.

Lay down; my secrets in my heart lay.

وَزارني واللّيلُ مُستحْلِكٌ

وَزارني واللّيلُ مُستحْلِكٌ

غَضبان ملآن منَ العَتْبِ

غَضبان ملآن منَ العَتْبِ

And he visited me while the night was pitch-dark,

The night came to me angry and sullen,

angry, brimming with reproach,

Full of blame and reproach.

كَأنَّ ما يُجرِمه مِن يَدِي

كَأنَّ ما يُجرِمه مِن يَدِي

أَو الّذي يُذنِبُهُ ذنبي

أَو الّذي يُذنِبُهُ ذنبي

as though the wrong he committed came from my hand,

As if the wrongs from my hands,

or the sin he committed were my own sin.

Or my guilt, had caused offense.

فَلَم أَزَلْ أَجعل خَدّي لهُ

فَلَم أَزَلْ أَجعل خَدّي لهُ

تُرْباً لِرِجْلَيْهِ عَلى التُّربِ

تُرْباً لِرِجْلَيْهِ عَلى التُّربِ

So I kept making my cheek for him

So I made my cheek the earth

dust for his feet upon the dust,

Where its feet might tread,

حَتّى اِنثَنى يَضحَكُ عَن لُؤلؤٍ

حَتّى اِنثَنى يَضحَكُ عَن لُؤلؤٍ

رَطْبٍ ثَوى في مَشربٍ عَذْبِ

رَطْبٍ ثَوى في مَشربٍ عَذْبِ

until he turned, smiling to reveal pearls,

Until it smiled and bent down

moist, nestled in a sweet drinking-place.

With dewdrops from fresh water it drank.

وَقالَ لي حَسبُك مِمّا أرى

وَقالَ لي حَسبُك مِمّا أرى

فقلتُ أو ترضى فما حسبِي

فقلتُ أو ترضى فما حسبِي

And he said to me, 'Enough of what I see!'

And it said to me, “Enough of what I see,”

So I said, 'Until you are pleased, it is not enough for me.'

So I said, “If you’re pleased, that’s all I need.”