لم أنسَ ليلاً بالنجومِ ترصّعا

لم أنسَ ليلاً بالنجومِ ترصّعا

والطيبُ فيهِ معَ النسيمِ تضوَّعا

والطيبُ فيهِ معَ النسيمِ تضوَّعا

I have not forgotten a night studded with stars,

I have not forgotten nights studded with stars,

And fragrance wafted through it with the breeze.

As perfume mingled with the breeze proliferated.

وغَدت دموعُ العاشقين له نَدىً

وغَدت دموعُ العاشقين له نَدىً

مُتنثِّراً في زَهرِهِ متجمّعا

مُتنثِّراً في زَهرِهِ متجمّعا

And lovers' tears became its dew,

The tears of lovers became its dew,

Scattered among its blossoms and gathered there.

Scattered on its flowers, accumulated.

فسرَيتُ أنتشُقُ الأريجَ وأشتهي

فسرَيتُ أنتشُقُ الأريجَ وأشتهي

ما مرّ من عمرِ الصبوّةِ مُسرعا

ما مرّ من عمرِ الصبوّةِ مُسرعا

So I went forth by night, inhaling the fragrance and longing for

So I went about inhaling the fragrance and craving

What had swiftly passed of my years of youthful passion.

What had passed of the days of my youth, hastened.

وأقول إنَّ سعادتي ولذاذتي

وأقول إنَّ سعادتي ولذاذتي

كالشمسِ أيامَ الشتاء تمنّعا

كالشمسِ أيامَ الشتاء تمنّعا

And I say: my happiness and my pleasure

And I say that my bliss and pleasures

Are as elusive as the sun on winter days.

Are like the sun in winter days, refusing.

هذا الصبى يمضي ويتبَعُهُ الهوى

هذا الصبى يمضي ويتبَعُهُ الهوى

ما كانَ أطيَبَ مدة لن تَرجعا

ما كانَ أطيَبَ مدة لن تَرجعا

This youth passes, and passion follows it.

This boy goes on, and desire follows him.

How sweet was that time, never to return!

How good were days that will not return!

كم مرة خفقان قلبي راعني

كم مرة خفقان قلبي راعني

فظَننتُهُ حينا يشقُّ الأضلُعا

فظَننتُهُ حينا يشقُّ الأضلُعا

How often the beating of my heart frightened me,

How often has my heart’s flutter startled me,

So at times I thought it would split my ribs.

And I thought it was splitting my ribs at times.

وضَممتُه بيديَّ ضمّةَ خائفٍ

وضَممتُه بيديَّ ضمّةَ خائفٍ

من خِشيتي في الوَجدِ أن يتصدّعا

من خِشيتي في الوَجدِ أن يتصدّعا

And I clasped it with both hands, as one afraid,

I held it in my hands, a fearful clutch,

For fear that, in love's ardor, it might shatter.

For fear that it would crack from the ecstasy.

حتى إذا شارَفتُ دار حبيبتي

حتى إذا شارَفتُ دار حبيبتي

فَذَكرتُ لي فيها لياليَ أربعا

فَذَكرتُ لي فيها لياليَ أربعا

Until, when I neared my beloved's house,

Until when I neared the abode of my beloved,

And recalled four nights I had spent there,

And it reminded me of four nights therein.

صارت حياتي لذة ما شابَها

صارت حياتي لذة ما شابَها

ألمٌ كأني لم أكُن متوجّعا

ألمٌ كأني لم أكُن متوجّعا

My life became a delight untouched

My life became a bliss the like of which

By pain, as though I had never suffered.

No pain had marred, as if I'd never agonized.

القلبُ في زَمَن الصِبى متقلّبٌ

القلبُ في زَمَن الصِبى متقلّبٌ

إذ لا يكونُ مروّضاً ومُطوَّعا

إذ لا يكونُ مروّضاً ومُطوَّعا

The heart in the days of youth is fickle,

The heart in the days of youth is fickle,

For it is neither tamed nor made obedient.

For it cannot be tamed or trained.

أبدا أُنقّلهُ كما شاءَ الهوى

أبدا أُنقّلهُ كما شاءَ الهوى

وكأنه لحنٌ يطيبُ مرجّعا

وكأنه لحنٌ يطيبُ مرجّعا

Forever I move it about as passion wills,

I forever made it yield to desire’s whim,

And it is like a melody, sweet when repeated.

As if it were a melody, sweet its return.

ولقد جَمعتُ الكونَ تحتَ شغافهِ

ولقد جَمعتُ الكونَ تحتَ شغافهِ

ما كانَ أضيعَهُ وأوسَعَهُ معا

ما كانَ أضيعَهُ وأوسَعَهُ معا

And indeed, I have gathered the universe beneath its membrane:

And I had gathered the universe beneath its eyelid,

How lost it was, and how vast, both at once!

Never did I squander or outspan it.