يا رُبَّ لَيلٍ قَد نَعِمتُ بِهِ

يا رُبَّ لَيلٍ قَد نَعِمتُ بِهِ

يَسعى عَلَيَّ بِكَأسِهِ البَدرُ

يَسعى عَلَيَّ بِكَأسِهِ البَدرُ

Ah, many a night I have delighted in,

O Lord of a night I have enjoyed

The full moon coming to me with its cup,

The full moon comes to me with his cup

في نَرجِسٍ غَضٍّ نَواظِرُهُ

في نَرجِسٍ غَضٍّ نَواظِرُهُ

بَينَ الجُفونِ عُيونُها صُفرُ

بَينَ الجُفونِ عُيونُها صُفرُ

Amid narcissus whose eyes are tender,

In a narcissus flower, its eyes are tender

Their eyes yellow between their lids.

Between the eyelids, their eyes are yellow

فَإِذا النَميمَةُ لِلرِياحِ جَرَت

فَإِذا النَميمَةُ لِلرِياحِ جَرَت

ما بَينَهُنَّ وَخانَها الصَبرُ

ما بَينَهُنَّ وَخانَها الصَبرُ

Then, when the winds' gossip flowed

So when the gossip went to the winds

Among them, and patience betrayed them,

Between them, patience betrayed them

ظَلَّت لِمُعتَنِقٍ وَمُفتَرِقٍ

ظَلَّت لِمُعتَنِقٍ وَمُفتَرِقٍ

يُدني الرَضى وَيُساعِدُ الهَجرُ

يُدني الرَضى وَيُساعِدُ الهَجرُ

They lingered, some embracing and others parting:

It stayed for an embracer and a separator

Contentment draws them close, and estrangement helps them part.

Contentment comes near and separation helps

مَلَأَت مَدائِنَها ثَرىً فَتَرى

مَلَأَت مَدائِنَها ثَرىً فَتَرى

أَعناقَها مِن ثِقلِهِ صُغرُ

أَعناقَها مِن ثِقلِهِ صُغرُ

They filled their cities with earth, so you see

It filled its cities with sand so you see

Their necks small beneath its weight.

Their necks bent under its weight

أَبدى الرَبيعُ بِصَوبِ وابِلِها

أَبدى الرَبيعُ بِصَوبِ وابِلِها

سَرَّ البِلادِ فَبَطنُها ظَهرُ

سَرَّ البِلادِ فَبَطنُها ظَهرُ

Spring, through the downpour of its heavy rain, revealed

Spring showed its direction with its heavy rain

The land's secret—its belly became its back.

It delighted the land so its interior surfaced