يا رُب ليل قد هتكتُ حجابه

يا رُب ليل قد هتكتُ حجابه

بمُدامةٍ وقادة كالكوكب

بمُدامةٍ وقادة كالكوكب

Ah, many a night's veil have I torn

O Lord, the night has unveiled its veil

with blazing wine, like a star.

With a goblet and leader like a planet

يسعى بها أحوى الجفون كأنها

يسعى بها أحوى الجفون كأنها

من خدهِ ورُضاب فيه الأشنبِ

من خدهِ ورُضاب فيه الأشنبِ

A dark-lidded one goes about with it, as though it were

Racing with it are the most beautiful eyelids as if they were

from his cheek and the saliva of his cool, white-toothed mouth.

From his cheek and softness in which is charm

بدران بدر قد أمنتُ غروبَه

بدران بدر قد أمنتُ غروبَه

يسعى ببدر جانحٍ للمغربِ

يسعى ببدر جانحٍ للمغربِ

Two full moons: a moon whose setting I do not fear

Two full moons whose setting I secured

goes about with a full moon inclining toward the west.

Racing with an inclining full moon to the west

فإذا نعمتَ برشفِ بدر غارب

فإذا نعمتَ برشفِ بدر غارب

فانعَم برشفة طالعٍ لم يغرُبِ

فانعَم برشفة طالعٍ لم يغرُبِ

So when you delight in sipping a setting full moon,

So if you are blessed with the observation of a setting moon

then delight in a sip from a rising one that has not set,

Then observe the rising of one that has not set

حتى ترى زُهرَ النجوم كأنها

حتى ترى زُهرَ النجوم كأنها

حول المجَرة رَبرب في مشرَبِ

حول المجَرة رَبرب في مشرَبِ

until you see the bright stars as though they were

Until you see the flowers of stars as if they were

a herd of gazelles around the Milky Way at a watering place.

Around the galaxy a twittering in a drinking place

والليل منحفِز يطيرُ غرابُه

والليل منحفِز يطيرُ غرابُه

والصبحَ يطردُه بباز أشهبِ

والصبحَ يطردُه بباز أشهبِ

And night is poised to flee, its raven taking flight,

And the night urges its raven to fly

and dawn drives it off with a gray-white hawk.

And the dawn chases it with a ruddy falcon