وَبِتنَا فُوَيقَ الحَىِّ لا نَحَن مِنهُمُ

وَبِتنَا فُوَيقَ الحَىِّ لا نَحَن مِنهُمُ

وَلا نَحنُ بِالأعدَاءِ مُختَلِطانِ

وَلا نَحنُ بِالأعدَاءِ مُختَلِطانِ

And we spent the night just above the encampment, not belonging to its people,

We awoke to the certainty that we are not one of them

nor were the two of us mingling with the enemies.

Nor are we mingled with the enemies

وباتَ يَقينا ساقِطَ الطَّلِّ وَالنَّدَى

وباتَ يَقينا ساقِطَ الطَّلِّ وَالنَّدَى

مِنَ اللَّيلِ بُردا يَمنَةٍ عَطِرانِ

مِنَ اللَّيلِ بُردا يَمنَةٍ عَطِرانِ

And shielding us from falling drizzle and dew

And it became certain that the dew and drizzle had fallen

through the night were two fragrant Yemeni cloaks.

From the night, a perfumed coolness from the right

نَذُوذُ بِذِكرِ اللهِ عَنَّا غَوَى الصِّبا

نَذُوذُ بِذِكرِ اللهِ عَنَّا غَوَى الصِّبا

إِذا كانَ قَلبانا بِنا يَرِدانِ

إِذا كانَ قَلبانا بِنا يَرِدانِ

We would ward off youth’s waywardness by remembering God,

Our obsession with mentioning God distracts us from passion’s confusion

whenever our two hearts led us to water.

When our hearts within us wish to return

وَنَصدُرُ عَن رِىِّ العَفافِ ورُبَّما

وَنَصدُرُ عَن رِىِّ العَفافِ ورُبَّما

نَقَعنا غَلِيلَ الحُبِّ بِالرَّشَفَانِ

نَقَعنا غَلِيلَ الحُبِّ بِالرَّشَفَانِ

And we would return, having drunk our fill of chastity; and sometimes

And we set forth with virtuous chastity, yet at times

we quenched love’s burning thirst with sips.

We quench the thirst of love with a draught