زارَني واللَّيلُ أَليَل

زارَني واللَّيلُ أَليَل

ناعِسُ الأجفانِ أكحَل

ناعِسُ الأجفانِ أكحَل

He visited me when the night was pitch-dark,

He visited me when the night was long

drowsy-lidded, with kohl-dark eyes.

With sleepy eyelids darkly lined

أَسمَرٌ والجفنُ مِنهُ

أَسمَرٌ والجفنُ مِنهُ

مِثلُ بيضِ الهندِ يَفعَل

مِثلُ بيضِ الهندِ يَفعَل

Dusky-skinned, and his eyelid

Swarthy while his lids from him

acts like India's gleaming swords.

Were like the white of an Indian nut

جاءَ في فترةِ طَرفٍ

جاءَ في فترةِ طَرفٍ

وَدُجَى اللَّيلِ مُسَدَّل

وَدُجَى اللَّيلِ مُسَدَّل

He came with a languid glance,

He came at a time of love’s delight

while the night's darkness hung down.

When night’s darkness was let down

فَضَلَلنا بِظَلامِ الصُّ

فَضَلَلنا بِظَلامِ الصُّ

دغِ لَمَّا راحَ مُرسَل

دغِ لَمَّا راحَ مُرسَل

So we strayed in the darkness of his temple-

We were lost in the gloom of his

lock, when it hung loose.

Departure’s sadness when he went

وَهَدانا بَرقُ ثَغرٍ

وَهَدانا بَرقُ ثَغرٍ

لاحَ من سِمطِ الُمقَبَّل

لاحَ من سِمطِ الُمقَبَّل

And the lightning of his mouth guided us,

And guided us the lightning of a mouth

flashing from the pearl-strand of his kissed mouth.

That smiled from a kissing bud

حَرَّمَ الشَّرعَ وَهذا

حَرَّمَ الشَّرعَ وَهذا

شَرعُهُ والهَجرَ حَلَّل

شَرعُهُ والهَجرَ حَلَّل

He forbade the religious law—and this

He forbade what law makes lawful

is his law—and made estrangement lawful.

And lawful did his law declare parting

سَلَّ سَيفَ اللَّحظِ ظُلماً

سَلَّ سَيفَ اللَّحظِ ظُلماً

وَحَمى للِظَّلمِ سَلسَل

وَحَمى للِظَّلمِ سَلسَل

He unjustly drew the sword of his glance,

He unsheathed the sword of his glance in darkness

and, for cruelty's sake, withheld sweet, clear water.

And for this darkness forged a chain

قد أجنَّ الصُّدغُ منه

قد أجنَّ الصُّدغُ منه

عارضاً فهو مُسَلسل

عارضاً فهو مُسَلسل

His temple-lock has driven

His temple was bent from him

his cheek mad, so it lies in chains.

To one side so it was chained

فيكَ يا كُلَّ الأَماني

فيكَ يا كُلَّ الأَماني

مُجمَلُ الحُسنِ مُفَصَّل

مُجمَلُ الحُسنِ مُفَصَّل

In you, O all my hopes,

In you O all of wishes

beauty's sum is unfolded in detail.

Combined beauty detailed

غِبتَ عَن عَيني وَلكن

غِبتَ عَن عَيني وَلكن

أَنتَ في القَلبِ مُمَثَّل

أَنتَ في القَلبِ مُمَثَّل

You vanished from my sight, but

You were absent from my eye but

you are pictured in my heart.

You are depicted in my heart

إن تَكُن ثانِيَ عِطفٍ

إن تَكُن ثانِيَ عِطفٍ

واحداص في الحُسنِ أوَّلُ

واحداص في الحُسنِ أوَّلُ

Even if you turn your flank away,

If you are a second grace

you are unique in beauty, foremost.

Unique in beauty, you are the first

لا تَمِل فالغُصنُ قد حا

لا تَمِل فالغُصنُ قد حا

رَ بغُصنٍ منهُ أميَل

رَ بغُصنٍ منهُ أميَل

Do not sway, for the bough has grown

Do not weary though the branch was

bewildered by a bough that sways more than it does.

Swayed aside by a branch more bending

صاحٍ سر بي نَحوَ سِربٍ

صاحٍ سر بي نَحوَ سِربٍ

سَانحٍ بالغَورِ واسأل

سَانحٍ بالغَورِ واسأل

Friend, travel with me toward a herd

Call out your secret to me, set out to the hills

crossing rightward in al-Ghawr, and ask

Frank, seeking the hills, and ask

ريمُ هذا السِّربِ هَل في

ريمُ هذا السِّربِ هَل في

ثغرهِ للصَّبِّ مَنهَل

ثغرهِ للصَّبِّ مَنهَل

the gazelle of this herd: is there in

The Sirab hills, is there in their

his mouth a watering place for the lovesick?

Mouths for passion a spring?