لاحت لنا في جُنحِ لَيلٍ داجِ

لاحت لنا في جُنحِ لَيلٍ داجِ

بسراجِ بَهْجَةِ حُسْنها الوهَاج

بسراجِ بَهْجَةِ حُسْنها الوهَاج

She appeared to us in the gloom of a dark night,

In the folds of a dark night, there appeared

With the blazing lamp of her beauty's splendor.

A lamp with the radiance of her beautiful light,

وَثَنَتْ بناناً بالسّلامِ تَحيّةً

وَثَنَتْ بناناً بالسّلامِ تَحيّةً

وَرَنَتْ بطرفٍ فاتكٍ غَنّاجِ

وَرَنَتْ بطرفٍ فاتكٍ غَنّاجِ

And she bent her fingers in a greeting of peace,

She greeted us with a salutation of peace

And gazed with a deadly, coquettish eye.

And sang with a charming, flirty glance.

فَرَمَتْ قلوب العاشقينَ بأسهم

فَرَمَتْ قلوب العاشقينَ بأسهم

فَعَلمْتُ أني لَسْتُ منها ناجِ

فَعَلمْتُ أني لَسْتُ منها ناجِ

Then she struck lovers' hearts with arrows,

The hearts of lovers were struck by her arrows,

And I knew I was not safe from her.

I knew then that I was not immune.

لولا مَراِشفُها العذابُ لما صَبا

لولا مَراِشفُها العذابُ لما صَبا

قلبي لرشْفِ مُدامةٍ بزُجاجِ

قلبي لرشْفِ مُدامةٍ بزُجاجِ

But for her sweet lips, no yearning would have stirred

If not for the torment of her pillows, never would

In my heart to sip wine from a glass.

My heart have sipped the wine of her cheek’s rose.

وَلَثَمْتُ مَبْسمَها وَوَرْدَ خُدودها

وَلَثَمْتُ مَبْسمَها وَوَرْدَ خُدودها

فَنَعَمْتُ بالورَادِ والثّلاج

فَنَعَمْتُ بالورَادِ والثّلاج

And I kissed her smiling mouth and the roses of her cheeks,

I kissed her smile and the roses of her cheeks,

So I delighted in rose-redness and icy coolness.

Enjoying the bouquet and the icicles.

يا ريمَ رامةَ قد فُطرتُ على الهوى

يا ريمَ رامةَ قد فُطرتُ على الهوى

طفلاً وَدَبَّ العِشقُ في أمشاجي

طفلاً وَدَبَّ العِشقُ في أمشاجي

O gazelle of Rama, I was indeed fashioned for love,

O Reyma, O wild doe, I was created

As a child, and passion crept into my mingled substance.

To love since childhood, when desire seeped into my being.

وَخُلقْتُ من مرَ النَسيمِ لطافةً

وَخُلقْتُ من مرَ النَسيمِ لطافةً

وَجَرى الغرامُ مُخالطاً لمزاجي

وَجَرى الغرامُ مُخالطاً لمزاجي

And in delicacy I was fashioned from the passing breeze,

I was formed of the gentle breeze’s bitterness,

And ardent love coursed, mingling with my temperament.

And passion flowed, mingling with my temperament.

فلذاك أهوى كُلَّ قَدٍّ أملَدٍ

فلذاك أهوى كُلَّ قَدٍّ أملَدٍ

ويروقُ طرفي كلَّ طرفٍ ساجي

ويروقُ طرفي كلَّ طرفٍ ساجي

For that reason, I love every supple figure,

So I love every languid form,

And every languid gaze delights my eye.

And my eyes delight in every charming glance.

وأظل أُطربُ كلَّ سمعٍ مُنشداً

وأظل أُطربُ كلَّ سمعٍ مُنشداً

غَزّلاً وَمَدْحاً في المقرِّ التَاجي

غَزّلاً وَمَدْحاً في المقرِّ التَاجي

And I keep delighting every ear, reciting

I remain enchanted by every singing voice,

Love verse and praise of His Excellency al-Taji.

Flirting and praising with an ornate crown.

فاق المدائحَ وَصْفُهُ مُتَرَفّعاً

فاق المدائحَ وَصْفُهُ مُتَرَفّعاً

فقعدانَ عنه كأنهنَ أهاجي

فقعدانَ عنه كأنهنَ أهاجي

His description surpassed all panegyrics, soaring high;

Description of him transcends praise,

So they fell short of him, as though they were satires.

As if competing beyond grasp.

وَعَلا على كُلِّ الأنامِ مَكانةً

وَعَلا على كُلِّ الأنامِ مَكانةً

وَسَنا عُلُوَّ الشّمس في الأَبراجِ

وَسَنا عُلُوَّ الشّمس في الأَبراجِ

And he rose above all humankind in rank,

He attained the highest stature of all people,

And in radiance, like the sun rising in the zodiac.

And attained the height of the sun in the zodiac.

كالنيلّ نَيلاً للوَليِّ ورُبَما

كالنيلّ نَيلاً للوَليِّ ورُبَما

أردى الأعادي منه بالأَمواج

أردى الأعادي منه بالأَمواج

Like the Nile in bounty to a friend; yet sometimes

Like the Nile, a Nile to the Saint, and sometimes,

He slew his enemies with waves of his own.

He destroys enemies with his waves.