سَدَلنَ ظَلامَ الشُعور

سَدَلنَ ظَلامَ الشُعور

عَلى أَوجُهٍ كَالبُدور

عَلى أَوجُهٍ كَالبُدور

They let fall the darkness of their hair

The darkness of feeling descended

Upon faces like full moons.

Upon faces like full moons

سَفَرنَ فَلاحَ الصَباح

سَفَرنَ فَلاحَ الصَباح

هَزَزنَ قُدودَ الرِماح

هَزَزنَ قُدودَ الرِماح

They unveiled, and dawn shone.

They traveled, so the morning shone

They swayed their spear-like figures.

They shook the poles of spears

ضَحِكنَ اِبتِسامَ الأَقاح

ضَحِكنَ اِبتِسامَ الأَقاح

كَأَنَّ الَّذي في النُحور

كَأَنَّ الَّذي في النُحور

They laughed with the smile of daisies.

They laughed with smiling mouths

As though what lay upon their throats

As if what was in their breasts

تَخَيَّرنَ مِنهُ الثُغور

تَخَيَّرنَ مِنهُ الثُغور

سَلوا مُقلَتَي ساحِر

سَلوا مُقلَتَي ساحِر

Was what they had chosen their teeth from.

Had chosen them as gates

Ask a sorcerer's two eyes

Ask my two enchanted eyes

عَنِ السِحرِ وَالساحِرِ

عَنِ السِحرِ وَالساحِرِ

وَعَن نَظَرٍ حائِرٍ

وَعَن نَظَرٍ حائِرٍ

About magic and the magician,

About magic and the magician

And about a bewildered gaze

And about a wandering gaze

يَريشُ سِهامَ الفُتور

يَريشُ سِهامَ الفُتور

وَيَرمي خَبايا الصُدور

وَيَرمي خَبايا الصُدور

That feathers the arrows of languor

That feathers the arrows of weariness

And shoots at the hidden depths of hearts.

And shoots the secrets of breasts

لَقَد هِمتُ وَيحي بِها

لَقَد هِمتُ وَيحي بِها

وَذَلَّلَ قَلبي لَها

وَذَلَّلَ قَلبي لَها

Indeed, I fell madly in love with her—woe is me!

I almost fell for her

And my heart was humbled before her.

And my heart surrendered to her

أَما وَالهَوى أَنَّها

أَما وَالهَوى أَنَّها

لَظَبيُ كِناس نَفور

لَظَبيُ كِناس نَفور

Indeed, by love, she

But, by passion, she

Is surely a skittish gazelle of the thicket,

Is a shy gazelle, shying away

تَغارُ عَلَيهِ الخُدور

تَغارُ عَلَيهِ الخُدور

حُرِمتُ لَذيذَ الكرى

حُرِمتُ لَذيذَ الكرى

Over whom the curtained chambers are jealous.

Dens are jealous of her

I was denied sweet slumber.

I am deprived of the sweetness of seeing her

سَهِرتُ وَنامَ الوَرى

سَهِرتُ وَنامَ الوَرى

تُرى لَيتَ شعري ترى

تُرى لَيتَ شعري ترى

I lay awake, and all mankind slept.

I stayed up while people slept

I wonder—would that I knew—I wonder:

I wonder, do you see

أَساعات لَيلي شُهور

أَساعات لَيلي شُهور

أَمِ اللَيلُ حَولي يَدور

أَمِ اللَيلُ حَولي يَدور

Are the hours of my night months,

My night hours like months?

Or does night revolve around me?

Or does the night revolve around me?

ظَفِرت بِصَبٍّ كَئيب

ظَفِرت بِصَبٍّ كَئيب

فَنَكدٌ وَعَذبٌ وَجور

فَنَكدٌ وَعَذبٌ وَجور

You have won a sorrowful lover:

I attained a gloomy love

So misery, sweetness, and injustice—

So misery, bitterness, and injustice

وَأَسرف غُلامك صَبور

وَأَسرف غُلامك صَبور

And go to excess: your servant is patient.

And your patient lover exceeded the limit