1. يا ليل قد طلع الصبا

    ح وما رأيت حبيبيه

    O night, the morning has dawned,

    yet I have not seen my beloved.

  2. ومضت سهام النور تق

    طع حبل منيةِ قلبيه

    The arrows of light sped forth to sever

    the cord of my heart's hope.

  3. وخبا الضياء السرمدي

    ي ومات كوكب حُبيه

    And the everlasting radiance faded,

    and the star of my love died.

  4. وسطا السقام على البقي

    يَة من ضياء شبابيه

    And sickness assailed what remained

    of the radiance of my youth.

  5. وأماتها فمضت ترت

    تِل في المقابر لحنيَه

    And killed it; it went on chanting

    my melody among the graves.

  6. كم عانقت روحي سنا

    ه فخفّفت ممّا بيَه

    How often my soul embraced his radiance,

    and eased some of what ailed me.

  7. وشربت من نور الجما

    لِ فأسكرتني كأسيه

    And I drank from the light of beauty,

    and my cup made me drunk.

  8. وثملت من فرط الهوى

    فَحطمتُ سورة خمريه

    And I grew drunk from love's excess,

    so I broke the force of my wine.

  9. قد كنت شاهد حبنا

    يا ليل فارث لحاليه

    You were indeed the witness to our love;

    O night, have pity on my plight.

  10. واذهب إليه وصف أسا

    ي وما أحلّ بجسميه

    And go to him and describe my sorrow,

    and what it has brought upon my body.

  11. يا زهرتي كذب الوشا

    ة بما يدنس طهريه

    O my flower, the slanderers have lied

    with what defiles my purity.

  12. هلا أتيت لهيكلي

    وسمعت نجوى روحيه

    Why did you not come to my temple

    and hear the secret whispers of my soul,

  13. ونظرت للدمع الهتو

    ن فصنت عنه عينيه

    and look upon the streaming tears,

    then shield my eye from them,

  14. ورضيتني عبدا لحس

    نك واحتقنت دمائيه

    and accept me as a slave to your beauty,

    and spare my blood,

  15. فرايت مبلغ عفتي

    وعلمت أنك جانيه

    then see the extent of my chastity

    and learn that you are the one who wrongs me?

  16. أنت الحياة فما أرى

    في غير قربك سعديه

    You are life; I do not see

    my happiness in anything but your nearness.

  17. والبعد عنك وعن سنا

    ك منيّتي وفنائيه

    And distance from you and from your radiance

    is my death and my annihilation.

  18. فتناولي نايَ الغرا

    م وغنّني في عشقيه

    So take up the reed flute of love,

    and sing to me of my passion.

  19. وترنّمي بالحب وار

    وي للوَرى من شعريه

    And sing melodiously of love, and recite

    to humankind from my poetry.

  20. على أموت فمن يخل

    لِد في الصبابة ذكريه

    Perhaps I shall die—who, then, will immortalize

    my memory in ardent love?

  21. طال الأنين وما سمع

    ت فهل أكفكف دمعيه

    The moaning has lasted long, yet you have not heard;

    shall I then wipe away my tears

  22. وأعود من دنيا الغرا

    مِ وقد كسبت شجونيه

    and return from the world of love,

    with my sorrows as my gain?

  23. فدعى الدلال فما عشق

    ت سواك طول حياتيه

    So leave off coyness; I have loved

    none but you throughout my life.

  24. ومرى خيالك أن يطو

    ف بفكرتي وخياليه

    And bid your image to roam

    through my thought and my imagination.

  25. أبدا يعذبني الهوى

    أفلا رحمت فؤاديه

    Love torments me unceasingly;

    will you not then have mercy on my heart?