وموقفٍ من وراء الرَّملِ آنسنِي

وموقفٍ من وراء الرَّملِ آنسنِي

فيه الدجَى وأرادَ الصُّبْحُ إيحاشي

فيه الدجَى وأرادَ الصُّبْحُ إيحاشي

And at a meeting place beyond the sands, I was comforted

From behind the sand dunes came a stance that drew me near

there by darkness, while dawn sought to leave me lonely.

The darkness and dawn's first light desired to rouse me

لَو ارتشى الليلُ من صَبٍّ فدامَ لهُ

لَو ارتشى الليلُ من صَبٍّ فدامَ لهُ

لكان يبذُلُ فيه روحَهُ الراشي

لكان يبذُلُ فيه روحَهُ الراشي

Were night to accept a bribe from a lovesick lover and linger for him,

Had the night drunk its fill of wine and lingered on

the briber would give his soul for it.

It would have poured out its wanton soul

لما افترشنَا رياضَ الحزن قد عُنِيَتْ

لما افترشنَا رياضَ الحزن قد عُنِيَتْ

بها يَدَا صَنَعٍ للتُّرْبِ نقَّاشِ

بها يَدَا صَنَعٍ للتُّرْبِ نقَّاشِ

When we lay upon the upland meadows, which had been tended

When we spread out across the gardens of sorrow

by the hands of a skilled craftsman, an engraver of the soil,

The hands of a maker busied themselves, sculpting the soil

أغرَى الهوى ونهى عمَّا أشارَ به ال

أغرَى الهوى ونهى عمَّا أشارَ به ال

تقى فقمتُ مروعاً نافِرَ الجَاشِ

تقى فقمتُ مروعاً نافِرَ الجَاشِ

passion tempted me, and what it urged was forbidden by

Passion tempted, eschewing the piety counselled by virtue

piety; so I rose alarmed, my heart in turmoil.

So I rose up, startled, my passion inflamed

وكادَ ينزِعُ شيطانُ الغرامِ يدي

وكادَ ينزِعُ شيطانُ الغرامِ يدي

عن طاعةِ النُّسْكِ لولا قلبيَ الخاشي

عن طاعةِ النُّسْكِ لولا قلبيَ الخاشي

And the demon of passion almost wrenched my hand

The demon of love nearly wrested my hand

away from dutiful worship, but for my fearful heart.

From obeying devotion, had my timid heart allowed

أستودعُ الليل سِرِّي وهو يكتُمُه

أستودعُ الليل سِرِّي وهو يكتُمُه

عن العيونِ ويأبى صحبةَ الواشِي

عن العيونِ ويأبى صحبةَ الواشِي

I entrust my secret to the night, and it conceals it

To the night I entrust my secret, and it hides it

from eyes and refuses the tale-bearer's company.

From spying eyes, shunning the gossip monger’s company