يا لَيْلَة ليسَ في ظَلمائِها نُورُ

يا لَيْلَة ليسَ في ظَلمائِها نُورُ

إلا وجُوهاً تُضاهِيها الدَّنانِيرُ

إلا وجُوهاً تُضاهِيها الدَّنانِيرُ

O little night, within whose darkness there is no light—

O night, in whose darkness there is no light,

save faces rivaled by gold dinars.

Save faces matched by gold dinars.

حُورٌ سَقَتني بِكأسِ المَوْتِ أعْينُها

حُورٌ سَقَتني بِكأسِ المَوْتِ أعْينُها

ماذا سَقتنِيهِ تِلْكَ الأَعْيُنُ الحُورُ

ماذا سَقتنِيهِ تِلْكَ الأَعْيُنُ الحُورُ

Dark-eyed beauties—their eyes gave me death’s cup to drink;

Dark-eyed maidens—their eyes gave me drink from death’s cup.

what was it those eyes of deepest black and purest white gave me to drink?

What did those dark eyes give me to drink?

إِذا ابْتَسَمْنَ فَدُرُّ الثَّغرِ مُنْتَظمٌ

إِذا ابْتَسَمْنَ فَدُرُّ الثَّغرِ مُنْتَظمٌ

وَإنْ نَطَقْنَ فَدُرُّ اللَّفظِ مَنْثُورُ

وَإنْ نَطَقْنَ فَدُرُّ اللَّفظِ مَنْثُورُ

When they smile, the mouth’s pearls lie in ordered rows;

When they smile, the pearls of the mouth are strung together;

and when they speak, the pearls of speech are scattered abroad.

And if they speak, the pearls of speech are scattered.

خَلِّ الصِّبا عَنْكَ واخْتُمْ بالنُّهى عَملاً

خَلِّ الصِّبا عَنْكَ واخْتُمْ بالنُّهى عَملاً

فإنَّ خاتِمةَ الأَعمالِ تكْفيرُ

فإنَّ خاتِمةَ الأَعمالِ تكْفيرُ

Put youthful passion behind you, and conclude a deed with wisdom;

Leave youthful folly behind, and conclude your work with reason,

for the conclusion of deeds is atonement.

For the ending of deeds is atonement.

الخَيرُ والشَّرُّ مَقْرُونانِ في قَرَنٍ

الخَيرُ والشَّرُّ مَقْرُونانِ في قَرَنٍ

فَالخيْرُ مُتَّبَعٌ والشَّرُّ مَحْذُورُ

فَالخيْرُ مُتَّبَعٌ والشَّرُّ مَحْذُورُ

Good and evil are yoked together in a single tether:

Good and evil are coupled by a single tether;

good is to be followed, and evil to be shunned.

So good is to be followed, and evil shunned.