يا ليلةً حتى الصباح سهرتُها

يا ليلةً حتى الصباح سهرتُها

قابلتُ فيها بَدرَها بأخيهِ

قابلتُ فيها بَدرَها بأخيهِ

O night I spent awake until dawn,

O night I stayed up until dawn

in which I set its full moon face to face with its brother.

In it I met its full moon and its crescent

سمحَ الزمانُ بها فكانت ليلةً

سمحَ الزمانُ بها فكانت ليلةً

عَذُبَ العتابُ بها لمجتذبيه

عَذُبَ العتابُ بها لمجتذبيه

Time granted it, and so it was a night

Time allowed it, so it was a night

when reproach grew sweet to those who drew it forth.

In it, reproach was gently sweet for the reproached

أحييتُها وأمَتُّها عن حاسدٍ

أحييتُها وأمَتُّها عن حاسدٍ

ما هَمُّهُ إلاَّ الحديث يَشيه

ما هَمُّهُ إلاَّ الحديث يَشيه

I gave it life, yet kept it dead to an envier,

I celebrated it and protected it from the envious

whose only concern is the tale he maliciously spreads.

Whose only concern is malicious gossip

ومُعانقي حُلو الشمائل أهيفُ

ومُعانقي حُلو الشمائل أهيفُ

جُمِعَت ملاحةُ كُلِّ شيءٍ فيه

جُمِعَت ملاحةُ كُلِّ شيءٍ فيه

And the one embracing me is sweet-natured, slender-waisted;

And my embracing the sweet-natured

the loveliness of everything was gathered in him.

The saltiness of everything was gathered in it

يختال معتدلاً فإن عبث الصبا

يختال معتدلاً فإن عبث الصبا

بقوامهِ مُتَعَرِّضاً يثنيه

بقوامهِ مُتَعَرِّضاً يثنيه

He struts upright; and if the east wind toys

He sways moderately, for if the morning breeze

with his figure as he stands exposed, it bends him.

Played with his figure, inclining it

نَشوان تهجم بي عليه صبابتي

نَشوان تهجم بي عليه صبابتي

وبردُّني وَرَعي فاستحييه

وبردُّني وَرَعي فاستحييه

He is intoxicated; my longing drives me headlong toward him,

My youthful excitement assaulted me toward him

but my piety holds me back, so I feel shy before him.

And my composure and decency embarrassed him

عَلِقَت يدي بعذاره وبخدِّه

عَلِقَت يدي بعذاره وبخدِّه

هذا أُقَبِّلهُ وذا أجنيه

هذا أُقَبِّلهُ وذا أجنيه

My hand clung to his cheek-down and his cheek:

My hand clung to his forearm and his cheek

this I kiss, and that I pluck.

I kiss this and avoid that

لو لم تخالط زفرتي أنفاسُه

لو لم تخالط زفرتي أنفاسُه

كانت تنمُّ بنا إلى واشيه

كانت تنمُّ بنا إلى واشيه

Had his breath not mingled with my sigh,

If my sighs didn't mingle with his breaths

it would have given us away to his talebearer.

They would have grown in us to the point of perdition

حَسَدَ الصباحُ الليلَ لما ضَمَّنا

حَسَدَ الصباحُ الليلَ لما ضَمَّنا

غَيظاً فَفَرَّقَ بيننا داعيه

غَيظاً فَفَرَّقَ بيننا داعيه

Dawn envied the night when it embraced us;

Morning envied night for embracing us

so, in anger, its herald parted us.

Angrily, so its caller separated us