ظَفِرتُ عَلى رُغمِ اللَيالي بِكَوكَبٍ

ظَفِرتُ عَلى رُغمِ اللَيالي بِكَوكَبٍ

يُقِرُّ لَهُ بَدرُ السَما وَالكَواكِبُ

يُقِرُّ لَهُ بَدرُ السَما وَالكَواكِبُ

I have won a star despite the nights,

I have attained, despite the nights, a star

Whose preeminence the sky’s full moon and the stars acknowledge.

To which the full moon and stars concede.

وَوُسِّدَ خَدّي عَقرَباً فَوقَ خَدِّها

وَوُسِّدَ خَدّي عَقرَباً فَوقَ خَدِّها

بِما بِتُّ دَهراً في فِراشي عَقارِبُ

بِما بِتُّ دَهراً في فِراشي عَقارِبُ

And my cheek was pillowed on a scorpion upon her cheek,

And my cheek was stung by a scorpion atop its cheek,

In recompense for an age I spent with scorpions in my bed.

From my tossing at night on a bed of scorpions.

وَخُضرَتُها قَد جاوَرَت خُضرَةَ اللَمى

وَخُضرَتُها قَد جاوَرَت خُضرَةَ اللَمى

وَلِلعَينِ فيها وَالقُلوبِ مَذاهِبُ

وَلِلعَينِ فيها وَالقُلوبِ مَذاهِبُ

And its green hue has come beside the dusky green of her lips,

Its greenness matched the green of verdure,

And in it the eye and hearts find paths to wander.

Both holding allure for the eye and heart.

وَقَد كانَتِ الدُنيا الَّتي لَم تَكُن بِها

وَقَد كانَتِ الدُنيا الَّتي لَم تَكُن بِها

إِذا اِخضَرَّ مِنها جانِبٌ جَفَّ جانِبُ

إِذا اِخضَرَّ مِنها جانِبٌ جَفَّ جانِبُ

And the world, when she was not in it, had been such that

The world that was not as it was

Whenever one part of it grew green, another withered.

When one part turned green, the other waned.

بَدَت لي بِها دُنيايَ خَضراءَ كُلُّها

بَدَت لي بِها دُنيايَ خَضراءَ كُلُّها

فَلا مَنظَرٌ إِلّا وَفيهِ مَآرِبُ

فَلا مَنظَرٌ إِلّا وَفيهِ مَآرِبُ

Through her, my world appeared to me entirely green,

Appeared to me, with it, a world completely verdant,

So no sight is without something to desire.

No scene without some charm, some delight.