رُبَّ لَيْلٍ مازِلْتُ أَلْثِمُ فيهِ

رُبَّ لَيْلٍ مازِلْتُ أَلْثِمُ فيهِ

قَمَراً لابِساً غِلالَةَ وَرْدِ

قَمَراً لابِساً غِلالَةَ وَرْدِ

Many a night I kept kissing

Many a night whose sins I dwelt in

a moon wearing a gauzy robe of roses.

Wearing the moon as a robe embroidered with roses

وَالثُرَيا كأَنَّها كَفُّ خَوْدٍ

وَالثُرَيا كأَنَّها كَفُّ خَوْدٍ

داخَلَتْها لِلْبَيْنِ رِعْدَةُ وَجْدِ

داخَلَتْها لِلْبَيْنِ رِعْدَةُ وَجْدِ

And the Pleiades were like a lovely maiden’s palm,

While the Pleiades appear as the palm of a lover

seized by a tremor of anguish at parting.

Entering it violently in passionate zeal

لَمْ تُطِقْ دَفْعَها عَنِ الوَجْدِ حَتَّى

لَمْ تُطِقْ دَفْعَها عَنِ الوَجْدِ حَتَّى

قَطَّعَتْها لِلْبَيْنِ مِنْ أَصْلِ زَنْدِ

قَطَّعَتْها لِلْبَيْنِ مِنْ أَصْلِ زَنْدِ

She could not free it from anguish, until

It could not repel it from the fervor

she severed it at the wrist because of parting.

So it severed it for the distant one from the base of affection

مَا بَدا لِي بَدْرٌ مِنَ الوَصْلِ إِلا

مَا بَدا لِي بَدْرٌ مِنَ الوَصْلِ إِلا

كَسَفَتْهُ أَيْدي الفِراقِ بِصَدِّ

كَسَفَتْهُ أَيْدي الفِراقِ بِصَدِّ

No full moon of union ever appeared to me but

No full moon of union appeared to me

the hands of separation eclipsed it with rejection.

Except the hands of separation eclipsed it with rejection