وماذا عليهم لو أجابوا فسلّموا

وماذا عليهم لو أجابوا فسلّموا

وقد علموا أنّي المشوقُ المتيّمُ

وقد علموا أنّي المشوقُ المتيّمُ

What harm would it do them to answer and offer a greeting,

And what if they had answered and surrendered

when they knew I was yearning, enthralled by love?

When they knew I was the yearning lovesick one

سروا ونجومُ الليلِ زُهرّ طوالعٌ

سروا ونجومُ الليلِ زُهرّ طوالعٌ

على أنّهم بالليلِ للناس انجمُ

على أنّهم بالليلِ للناس انجمُ

They traveled by night, with the night's stars bright and rising,

They moved on while the stars of night were blossoming flowers

though they themselves were stars to people in the night.

Rising for people in the night as stars

واخفوا على تلك المطايا مسيرهم

واخفوا على تلك المطايا مسيرهم

فنمّ عليها في الظلام التبسّمُ

فنمّ عليها في الظلام التبسّمُ

They concealed their journey on those mounts,

And they hid the course of those mounts in the dark

but in the darkness a smile gave them away.

Then smiled upon them in the darkness slumbering