مَرَّت وفي طَيِّها مِن عِندِهِم خَبَرُ

مَرَّت وفي طَيِّها مِن عِندِهِم خَبَرُ

صَباً أَتَت وَقَميصُ اللَّيلِ مُنحَسرُ

صَباً أَتَت وَقَميصُ اللَّيلِ مُنحَسرُ

It passed, bearing news from them within its folds;

She passed by, and from them came news

An east breeze came, with the shirt of night drawn back.

Of youth that arrived, and the night's shirt was unveiled

هَبَّت سُحَيراً فيا للهِ كم سحَرَت

هَبَّت سُحَيراً فيا للهِ كم سحَرَت

قلباً وَكَم مِنَّةً أهدى لنا السَّحرُ

قلباً وَكَم مِنَّةً أهدى لنا السَّحرُ

It blew just before dawn—O God, it enchanted so many

She blew gently, by Allah how she has enchanted

hearts! And how many favors the predawn hour bestowed on us!

A heart, and how much grace the magic brought us

وَحَدَّثَت فانتَشَت أَرواحُنا وَنشَت

وَحَدَّثَت فانتَشَت أَرواحُنا وَنشَت

لمَّا فَهِمنا وَهِمنا بالذي ذَكَرُوا

لمَّا فَهِمنا وَهِمنا بالذي ذَكَرُوا

And it spoke; our spirits grew drunk and breathed in the scent,

And she spoke, so our souls blossomed and grew

When we understood and became enraptured by what they spoke of.

When we understood, and imagined what they mentioned

لَولا ادِّراعُ الصَّبا رَيَّا حَدِيثهمُ

لَولا ادِّراعُ الصَّبا رَيَّا حَدِيثهمُ

ما طبَّقَ الأرضَ منها المندلُ العَطرُ

ما طبَّقَ الأرضَ منها المندلُ العَطرُ

Had the east breeze not donned the fragrance of their words,

Were it not for the young woman's robe, blowing their speech around

The fragrant aloeswood would not have spread from it across the earth.

The ground would not be covered by its fragrant hem

فَلا ومُلدِ غُصونِ من قُدودهمُ

فَلا ومُلدِ غُصونِ من قُدودهمُ

تَزر بِسُمرِ القَنا الخَطّارِ إِذ خَطَروا

تَزر بِسُمرِ القَنا الخَطّارِ إِذ خَطَروا

So no—by the supple boughs of their figures,

By the shooting star's ink, when they appeared

That put the swaying, dusky lances to shame when they swayed;

And the swords' eyelids, which became famous when they were seen

وَحَقِّ أَسيافِ أَجفَانٍ لَهُم شُهِرَت

وَحَقِّ أَسيافِ أَجفَانٍ لَهُم شُهِرَت

فَأُغمِدت في صَميمِ القَلبِ إِذ نَظَروا

فَأُغمِدت في صَميمِ القَلبِ إِذ نَظَروا

And by the swords of their eyelids, drawn forth,

And were sheathed into the heart's core when they looked

Then sheathed in the heart's very core when they gazed;

By the night of the branch that misguided its darkness' journey

وَلَيلِ فرعٍ أَضلَّ السَّفر غَيهَبُهُ

وَلَيلِ فرعٍ أَضلَّ السَّفر غَيهَبُهُ

وَحَقِّ صُبحٍ هَداهُم عِندَما سَفَروا

وَحَقِّ صُبحٍ هَداهُم عِندَما سَفَروا

And by the night of tresses whose deep darkness led travelers astray,

And the dawn's truth that guided them when they traveled

And by the dawn that guided them when they unveiled their faces:

My eyes have not seen beauty after them

ما إِن رأَت مُقلَتي من بَعدِهِم حَسَناً

ما إِن رأَت مُقلَتي من بَعدِهِم حَسَناً

كَلاَّ ولا خَطَرت في غَيرِهم فِكَرُ

كَلاَّ ولا خَطَرت في غَيرِهم فِكَرُ

My eye has seen nothing beautiful after them;

No, nor has any thought occurred to me but theirs

No indeed, nor have thoughts of anyone else crossed my mind.