مَرَّ بِنا وَهوَ بَدرُ تَمٍّ

مَرَّ بِنا وَهوَ بَدرُ تَمٍّ

يَسحَبُ مِن ذَيلِهِ سَحابا

يَسحَبُ مِن ذَيلِهِ سَحابا

He passed by us, a full moon,

He passed by us, a full moon

Trailing a cloud from his hem,

Dragging clouds in his train

بِقامَةٍ تَنثَني قَضيباً

بِقامَةٍ تَنثَني قَضيباً

وَغُرَّةٍ تَلتَظي شِهابا

وَغُرَّةٍ تَلتَظي شِهابا

With a figure that bends like a slender bough,

With a tall, swaying figure

And a radiant brow that blazes like a meteor.

And a cheek flashing with light

يَقرَأُ وَاللَيلُ مُدلَهِمٌّ

يَقرَأُ وَاللَيلُ مُدلَهِمٌّ

لِنورِ إِجلائِهِ كِتابا

لِنورِ إِجلائِهِ كِتابا

He reads, while the night is pitch-dark,

Reciting while the night lowered its veil

A book by the light of his unveiled splendor.

Illuminated by his shining face

وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ سَهِرتُ فيهِ

وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ سَهِرتُ فيهِ

أَزجُرُ مِن جِنحِهِ نِكابا

أَزجُرُ مِن جِنحِهِ نِكابا

And many a night I stayed awake,

Many a night have I spent awake

Warding off ill omens from its wing,

Repelling with my eyelids his dazzling rays

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ مالَ سُكراً

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ مالَ سُكراً

وَشَقَّ سِربالَهُ وَجابا

وَشَقَّ سِربالَهُ وَجابا

Until, when night reeled in drunkenness,

Until the night swayed drunkenly

And tore its robe and ripped it apart,

And tore its dark garments

وَحامَ مِن سُدفِهِ غُرابٌ

وَحامَ مِن سُدفِهِ غُرابٌ

طالَت بِهِ سِنُّهُ فَشابا

طالَت بِهِ سِنُّهُ فَشابا

And a raven circled from its darkness,

And there flew from its breast a raven

Whose years had lengthened till it turned gray,

Whose long life had turned it hoary

اِزدَدتُ مِن لَوعَتي خَبالاً

اِزدَدتُ مِن لَوعَتي خَبالاً

فَحَثَّ مِن غُلَّتي شَرابا

فَحَثَّ مِن غُلَّتي شَرابا

I grew still madder from my burning longing,

My torment redoubled

So he hastened a drink for my burning thirst.

And I rinsed my throat with a draught

وَما خَطا قادِماً فَوافى

وَما خَطا قادِماً فَوافى

حَتّى اِنثَنى ناكِصاً فَآبا

حَتّى اِنثَنى ناكِصاً فَآبا

And scarcely had he stepped forward and arrived,

But he went straight on his way

When he turned away, retreating, and went back.

And turned not back though I summoned him

وَبَينَ جَفنَيَّ بَحرُ شَوقٍ

وَبَينَ جَفنَيَّ بَحرُ شَوقٍ

يَعُبُّ في وَجنَتي عُبابا

يَعُبُّ في وَجنَتي عُبابا

And between my eyelids is a sea of longing,

Between my eyes surged a sea of longing

Surging in billows upon my cheek.

Storming wildly on my cheeks

قَد شَبَّ في وَجهِهِ شُعاعٌ

قَد شَبَّ في وَجهِهِ شُعاعٌ

وَشَبَّ عَن قَلبِهِ اِلتِهابا

وَشَبَّ عَن قَلبِهِ اِلتِهابا

A ray has flared upon its face,

Light glowed from his face

And from its heart it has blazed into flame.

And passion flamed in his heart

وَرَوضَةٍ طَلقَةٍ حَياءً

وَرَوضَةٍ طَلقَةٍ حَياءً

غَنّاءَ مُخضَرَّةٍ جَنابا

غَنّاءَ مُخضَرَّةٍ جَنابا

And many a garden, smiling in its modesty,

A meadow, soft and shy

Luxuriant, green throughout its grounds,

A singing flower-garden

يَنجابُ عَن نورِها كِمامٌ

يَنجابُ عَن نورِها كِمامٌ

يَحُطُّ عَن وَجهِهِ نِقابا

يَحُطُّ عَن وَجهِهِ نِقابا

The flower-sheaths draw back from its bloom,

Shaded by a veil that screens

Letting a veil fall from its face.

The beauty underneath its drape

باتَ بِها مِبسَمُ الأَقاحي

باتَ بِها مِبسَمُ الأَقاحي

يَرشُفُ مِن طَلِّها رُضابا

يَرشُفُ مِن طَلِّها رُضابا

There the daisies' smiling mouth spent the night,

On which smiles a rosebud

Sipping sweet saliva from its dew.

Sipping from its brimming cup

وَمِن خُفوقِ البُروقِ فيها

وَمِن خُفوقِ البُروقِ فيها

أَلوِيَةٌ جُمِّرَت خِضابا

أَلوِيَةٌ جُمِّرَت خِضابا

And from the flickering lightning there

And in it lightnings flash

Come banners dyed an ember-red,

Dyed red as with henna

كَأَنَّها أَنمُلٌ وِرادٌ

كَأَنَّها أَنمُلٌ وِرادٌ

تَحصُرُ قَطرَ الحَيا حِسابا

تَحصُرُ قَطرَ الحَيا حِسابا

As though they were rose-red fingertips,

As if it were a lily-white palm

Counting the drops of rain, one by one.

Measuring out the water of life