1. مُقيمٌ عَلى العَهدِ مِن صَبوَتي

    أَبيتُ وَأُصبِحُ في نَشوَتي

    I remain true to the pledge of my youthful passion;

    I pass the night and greet the morning in my rapture.

  2. يَرومُ العَواذِلُ لي سَلوَةً

    وَأَينَ العَواذِلُ مِن سَلوَتي

    The reproachers seek to make me forget my love;

    But how far the reproachers are from making me forget!

  3. وَلي لَيلَةٌ طَرَقَت بِالسُعودِ

    فَحَدِّث بِما شِئتَ عَن لَيلَتي

    And mine was a night that came bearing good fortune;

    So tell whatever you wish about my night.

  4. فَما كانَ أَحسَنَ مِن مَجلِسي

    وَما كانَ أَرفَعَ مِن هِمَّتي

    For nothing was lovelier than my gathering,

    And nothing was loftier than my ambition,

  5. بِشَمسِ الضُحى وَبِبَدرِ الدُجى

    عَلى يَمنَتي وَعَلى يَسرَتي

    With the sun of morning and the full moon of night

    On my right and on my left.

  6. وَبِتُّ عَن خَبَري لاتَسَل

    بِذاكَ الَّذي وَبِتِلكَ الَّتي

    And I spent the night—do not ask how I fared—

    With that one and with that other.

  7. فَقَضَّيتُها في الهَوى لَيلَةً

    إِخالُ الخَليفَةَ في خِدمَتي

    So I spent that night in love,

    Imagining the caliph at my service.

  8. سَأَشكُرُها أَبَداً مابَقيتُ

    وَإِن عَظُمَت بَعدَها حَسرَتي

    I shall thank it forever, as long as I live,

    Even if my sorrow afterward grows great.

  9. فَما كانَ أَسهَلَ إِذ أَقبَلَت

    وَما كانَ أَصعَبَ إِذ وَلَّتِ

    For how easy it was when it came,

    And how hard it was when it departed!