أَفدي الَّذي زارَ بَعدَ هَجرٍ

أَفدي الَّذي زارَ بَعدَ هَجرٍ

فَكانَ مِن عِلَّتي طَبيبي

فَكانَ مِن عِلَّتي طَبيبي

I would give my life for him who visited after estrangement,

I ransom the one who visited after long absence

And became my physician for my ailment.

And became the physician of my malady

أَطلَعَ بَدراً مِن فَوقِ غُصنٍ

أَطلَعَ بَدراً مِن فَوقِ غُصنٍ

يَميسُ تيهاً عَلى كَثيبِ

يَميسُ تيهاً عَلى كَثيبِ

He made a full moon rise above a bough

The full moon rose over the branch

That sways proudly upon a sand dune.

Wandering confusedly over the sand dune

يَرنو بِأَجفانِهِ دَلالاً

يَرنو بِأَجفانِهِ دَلالاً

فَيَنفُثُ السِحرَ في القُلوبِ

فَيَنفُثُ السِحرَ في القُلوبِ

He gazes coyly with his eyelids,

He glances flirtatiously with his eyelids

And breathes magic into hearts.

Exhaling magic into hearts

وافى وَفي كَفِّهِ مُدامٌ

وافى وَفي كَفِّهِ مُدامٌ

أَلَذُّ مِن غَفلَةِ الرَقيبِ

أَلَذُّ مِن غَفلَةِ الرَقيبِ

He arrived with wine in his palm,

He came fulfilling his promise, in his palm a drink

More delightful than the watcher's inattention.

Sweeter than the heedlessness of the chaperone

كَأَنَّها إِذ صَفَت وَراقَت

كَأَنَّها إِذ صَفَت وَراقَت

شَكوى مُحِبٍّ إِلى حَبيبِ

شَكوى مُحِبٍّ إِلى حَبيبِ

As though, when it grew clear and bright,

As if, when it lined up and flowed

It were a lover's complaint to a beloved.

It was the complaint of a lover to his beloved

لَقَد عَجِبنا مِنهُ وَمِنها

لَقَد عَجِبنا مِنهُ وَمِنها

كَالشَمسِ وَالبَدرِ في قَضيبِ

كَالشَمسِ وَالبَدرِ في قَضيبِ

Indeed, we marveled at him and at it—

We were amazed by him and by her

Like the sun and the full moon on a bough.

Like the sun and the moon on a horizon

فَقُمتُ مُستَبشِراً وَقَلبي

فَقُمتُ مُستَبشِراً وَقَلبي

في غايَةِ الوَجدِ وَالوَجيبِ

في غايَةِ الوَجدِ وَالوَجيبِ

So I rose rejoicing, while my heart

So I rose up, happily, and my heart

Was at the height of passion, pounding hard.

Was in the utmost joy and passion

فَدارَ ما بَينَنا عِتابٌ

فَدارَ ما بَينَنا عِتابٌ

كَالخِصبِ وافى عَلى جُدوبِ

كَالخِصبِ وافى عَلى جُدوبِ

Then reproach passed between us,

Then, between us circulated coquetry

Like fertility coming upon barren ground.

Like fertility on barren land

قَبَّلتُهُ قُبلَةً تُضاهي

قَبَّلتُهُ قُبلَةً تُضاهي

تَجاوُزَ اللَهِ عَن ذُنوبي

تَجاوُزَ اللَهِ عَن ذُنوبي

I kissed him with a kiss to match

I kissed him a kiss that rivals

God's forgiveness of my sins.

God's forgiving my sins

وَباتَ يَقري سَمعي كَلاماً

وَباتَ يَقري سَمعي كَلاماً

أَحلى مِنَ النَصرِ في الحُروبِ

أَحلى مِنَ النَصرِ في الحُروبِ

And all night he regaled my hearing with words

And he spent the night entertaining my hearing with talk

Sweeter than victory in wars.

Sweeter than triumph in wars

وَبِتُّ مِنهُ في برد عَيشٍ

وَبِتُّ مِنهُ في برد عَيشٍ

مُفَوَّفٍ ناعِمٍ قَشيبِ

مُفَوَّفٍ ناعِمٍ قَشيبِ

And through him I spent the night in life's mantle,

And I spent the night in the chill of a life

Striped, soft, and new.

Luxurious, delicate, and fluffy

فَيا لَها لَيلَةً جَنَيتُ ال

فَيا لَها لَيلَةً جَنَيتُ ال

ثِمارَ مِن غُصنِها الرَطيبِ

ثِمارَ مِن غُصنِها الرَطيبِ

And oh, what a night! I plucked the

Oh, what a night in which I harvested

Fruits from its tender branch.

Fruits from its delicious branch