سَقى المَطيرَةَ ذاتَ الظِلِّ وَالشَجَرِ

سَقى المَطيرَةَ ذاتَ الظِلِّ وَالشَجَرِ

وَدَيرَ عِبدَونَ هَطّالٌ مِنَ المَطَرِ

وَدَيرَ عِبدَونَ هَطّالٌ مِنَ المَطَرِ

May al-Matira, with its shade and trees, be watered,

The rainwatered place with shade and trees

And the monastery of ʿAbdun, by a downpour of rain.

And the monastery of Abdu'n was pouring rain

فَطالَما نَبَّهَتني لِلصَبوحِ بِها

فَطالَما نَبَّهَتني لِلصَبوحِ بِها

في غُرَّةِ الفَجرِ وَالعُصفورُ لَم يَطِرِ

في غُرَّةِ الفَجرِ وَالعُصفورُ لَم يَطِرِ

For often there I was roused for morning wine,

For long it has awakened me for dawn with it

At dawn's first light, while the sparrow had not yet flown,

In the prime of dawn, and the sparrow had not flown

أَصواتُ رُهبانِ دَيرٍ في صَلاتِهِمُ

أَصواتُ رُهبانِ دَيرٍ في صَلاتِهِمُ

سودِ المَدارِعِ نَعّارينَ في السَحَرِ

سودِ المَدارِعِ نَعّارينَ في السَحَرِ

By the voices of monastery monks at their prayers,

Voices of the monks of a monastery in their prayers

Black-robed, crying aloud before dawn,

Black-robed, chanting in the dawn

مُزَنَّرَينَ عَلى الأَوساطِ قَد جَعَلوا

مُزَنَّرَينَ عَلى الأَوساطِ قَد جَعَلوا

عَلى الرُؤوسِ أَكاليلاً مِنَ الشَعرِ

عَلى الرُؤوسِ أَكاليلاً مِنَ الشَعرِ

Girdled about their waists, they had placed

Dressed in belts at the waists, they have made

Upon their heads wreaths of hair.

On the heads garlands of hair

كَم فيهِمُ مِن مَليحِ الوَجهِ مُكتَحِلٍ

كَم فيهِمُ مِن مَليحِ الوَجهِ مُكتَحِلٍ

بِالسِحرِ يُطبِقُ جَفنَيهِ عَلى حَوَرِ

بِالسِحرِ يُطبِقُ جَفنَيهِ عَلى حَوَرِ

How many a fair-faced man among them, his eyes kohled

How many fair of face among them, kohl-lined

With magic, closes his lids over eyes of brilliant white and black!

With magic he closes his eyelids over the pupil

لاحَظتُهُ بِالهَوى حَتّى اِستَقادَ لَهُ

لاحَظتُهُ بِالهَوى حَتّى اِستَقادَ لَهُ

طَوعاً وَأَسلَفَني الميعادَ بِالنَظَرِ

طَوعاً وَأَسلَفَني الميعادَ بِالنَظَرِ

I gazed at him with desire until he yielded to it,

I watched him passionately until he yielded

Willingly, and promised me a tryst with a glance.

Willingly and promised me the rendezvous with a glance

وَجاءَني في قَميصِ اللَيلِ مُستَتِراً

وَجاءَني في قَميصِ اللَيلِ مُستَتِراً

يَستَعجِلُ الخَطوَ مِن خَوفٍ وَمِن حَذَرِ

يَستَعجِلُ الخَطوَ مِن خَوفٍ وَمِن حَذَرِ

And he came to me, concealed in the shirt of night,

And he came to me in the shirt of night, stealthily

Hastening his steps out of fear and caution.

Hastening his steps in fear and in caution

فَقُمتُ أَفرِشُ خَدَّي في الطَريقِ لَهُ

فَقُمتُ أَفرِشُ خَدَّي في الطَريقِ لَهُ

ذُلّاً وَأَسحَبُ أَذيالي عَلى الأَثَرِ

ذُلّاً وَأَسحَبُ أَذيالي عَلى الأَثَرِ

So I rose, spreading my cheeks upon the road for him,

So I rose, laying my cheek in the road for him

In submission, and trailing my hems along his tracks.

Humbled, dragging my train behind the footsteps

وَلاحَ ضَوءُ هِلالٍ كادَ يَفضَحُنا

وَلاحَ ضَوءُ هِلالٍ كادَ يَفضَحُنا

مِثلَ القُلامَةِ قَد قُدَّت مِنَ الظُفُرِ

مِثلَ القُلامَةِ قَد قُدَّت مِنَ الظُفُرِ

And the light of a crescent appeared, almost exposing us,

And the light of a crescent appeared, nearly exposing us

Like a clipping that had been cut from a fingernail.

Like an inky-black raven freshly dyed

فَكانَ ما كانَ مِمّا لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

فَكانَ ما كانَ مِمّا لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

فَظُنَّ خَيراً وَلا تَسأَل عَنِ الخَبَرِ

فَظُنَّ خَيراً وَلا تَسأَل عَنِ الخَبَرِ

Then what happened happened—what I will not recount.

So what happened, happened, of what I shall not recall

So assume the best, and do not ask what happened.

Think well, and do not ask about the news