بَكَرَ الخَليطُ بِمَن تُحِبُّ فَأَدلَجُوا

بَكَرَ الخَليطُ بِمَن تُحِبُّ فَأَدلَجُوا

ظُلماً لَعَمرُكَ ثُمَّ لَم يَتَحَرَّجُوا

ظُلماً لَعَمرُكَ ثُمَّ لَم يَتَحَرَّجُوا

The company set out early with the one you love, traveling by night—

The mixture soured with those you love, so they connived

Wrongfully, by your life! Then they felt no scruples.

Oppressively, by your life, then felt no shame

كَالشَمسِ تَختَشِعُ الكَواكِبُ حَولَها

كَالشَمسِ تَختَشِعُ الكَواكِبُ حَولَها

وَالشَمسُ لَم تَكُ قَبلَ ذَلِكَ تُدلِجُ

وَالشَمسُ لَم تَكُ قَبلَ ذَلِكَ تُدلِجُ

She is like the sun, with the stars humbled around her;

Like the sun, the stars gleam around it

Yet before that, the sun had never traveled by night.

Yet the sun was not dark before that

سَدَّت مَسامِعَها بِفُرجِ مَراجِلٍ

سَدَّت مَسامِعَها بِفُرجِ مَراجِلٍ

مِن نَسجِ حَيٍّ مِثلُهُ لا يَنسُجُ

مِن نَسجِ حَيٍّ مِثلُهُ لا يَنسُجُ

She covered her ears with the open edges of patterned robes,

She has blocked her ears with steam boiler lids

Woven by a tribe whose weaving none can equal.

Woven from living fibers, none like it are woven

مَرَّت عَلَينا بِالبِلاطِ وَطَرفُها

مَرَّت عَلَينا بِالبِلاطِ وَطَرفُها

مِن غَيرِ ما حَوَلٍ إِلَينا أَعوَجُ

مِن غَيرِ ما حَوَلٍ إِلَينا أَعوَجُ

She passed us at al-Balāṭ, and her gaze

She passed by us in the palace walkway, her gaze

Was turned sidelong toward us, though she had no squint.

Turned, without paying heed to us, askance