وَباتَ يُحَيّيني عَلى رَغمِ كاشِحٍ

وَباتَ يُحَيّيني عَلى رَغمِ كاشِحٍ

بِما لَم أَكُن لَولا الرِضا أَتَمَنّاهُ

بِما لَم أَكُن لَولا الرِضا أَتَمَنّاهُ

And he spent the night greeting me, despite a spiteful foe,

Despite the frowns of the blamer

with what I would not have desired without his consent:

He came to greet me with what I, without consent, never hoped for

بِخِمرَينِ خِمرٍ فَوقَ وَردَةِ خَدِّهِ

بِخِمرَينِ خِمرٍ فَوقَ وَردَةِ خَدِّهِ

يَرِقُّ وَخَمرٍ في أَقاحِ ثَناياهُ

يَرِقُّ وَخَمرٍ في أَقاحِ ثَناياهُ

with veil and wine—a veil over the rose of his cheek,

With two goblets atop his rosy cheek

growing sheer, and wine amid the daisies of his front teeth.

That blushed like the ruby in the folds of his neck

فَوَلّى ضِياءُ الصُبحِ مِن خَوفِ فَرعِهِ

فَوَلّى ضِياءُ الصُبحِ مِن خَوفِ فَرعِهِ

وَوَلّى ظَلامُ اللَيلِ خَوفَ مُحَيّاهُ

وَوَلّى ظَلامُ اللَيلِ خَوفَ مُحَيّاهُ

So dawn’s light fled for fear of his hair,

The morning light receded in awe of his radiance

and night’s darkness fled for fear of his face.

And the darkness of night receded in awe of his glow

وَقَد غِبتُ مِن فَرطِ السُرورِ بِقُربِهِ

وَقَد غِبتُ مِن فَرطِ السُرورِ بِقُربِهِ

كَأَنّي ما أَلقاهُ لَيلَةَ أَلقاهُ

كَأَنّي ما أَلقاهُ لَيلَةَ أَلقاهُ

And I lost myself in overwhelming joy at his nearness,

I became oblivious from excessive joy in his nearness

as though I had not met him on the night I met him.

As if I did not meet him the night we met

وَقَبَّلتُهُ عَن أَن يَفوهُ بِعَتبِهِ

وَقَبَّلتُهُ عَن أَن يَفوهُ بِعَتبِهِ

وَأَجلَلتُهُ عَن أَن أَبوحَ بِشَكواهُ

وَأَجلَلتُهُ عَن أَن أَبوحَ بِشَكواهُ

And I kissed him to keep him from voicing his reproach,

I kissed him before he could voice his reproach

and revered him too much to voice a grievance against him.

And revered him before I could hear his complaint

إِذا اِهتَزَّ في حَلي وَقَبَّلَ ثَغرَهُ

إِذا اِهتَزَّ في حَلي وَقَبَّلَ ثَغرَهُ

مُحِبٌّ فَسُقياهُ سَقاهُ وَغَنّاهُ

مُحِبٌّ فَسُقياهُ سَقاهُ وَغَنّاهُ

When he sways in jewels and his lips are kissed

When he quivered on my chest and kissed his lips

by a lover, he gives him his draught and sings to him.

A lover, I quenched his thirst, slaked him, and sang to him