1. She moved to Layla with grace,
A house though she did not settle.

2. And long we lived together,
Each of us content.

3. Days that do not rate us,
In living wildly we ramble.

4. The branch is green and youth’s hair
Is curly locks and ringlets.

5. And the star of joy upright
Has not lost its angle.

6. Fate’s betrayal cannot dilute
Its own joy a single jot.

7. That’s how I start my day,
At dawn in joy I amble.

8. The night like hair turns hoary,
With strands of white entangled.

9. The morn peers like a bowl,
With the burnish of its rim dazzled.

10. The stars like earrings drop
During passionate embrace they dangle.

11. Amongst gallant youths, glory expands
For them plains without wrinkle.

12. No slippery patch they fear,
Nor have they lost their footing.

13.
No veil before them,

14. The eyebrows of the tribe they paddle.
Like lions in fierce foray,

15. Or rain when drought destroys the cattle.
Like pearls and flowers in one,

16. In verse, idiom and tablet.
Hopes through their likes relax

17. And sprawl without a shackle.
No blame except excess

18. In munificence they dabble!
Resembling they confused,

19. Like teeth arranged on a comb they straddle.
You see the tale of drink is spun

20. Amongst them, while the carpet they unravel.
Should a boor interfere,

21. They quickly set him right, his prattle.
On my left, swords from India glance,

22. With tempered steel they dazzle.
Like sparks that brightly shine

23. Whenever drawn from scabbard they crackle.
Like ants milling up and down,

24. Ascending and descending without tackle.
Ready to slash, in its blade,

25. Water with fire seems to dabble.
As if packed with deadly poison,

26. Even for sparrows too fatal a swaddle.
Wield it straight or transverse,

27. It cuts through all with no scramble.
Under my saddle a stallion frolics,

28. A swift steed with muscles that ripple.
The winds cannot catch up,

29. His long neck they never throttle.
Front on he appears the stoutest hill,

30. Till you get behind he seems to crumble.
As if when the saddle’s removed,

31. His back with scrub seems to be speckled.
A smooth surface well-oiled,

32. With spots of dust seems to be spackled.
His ears as if when alert,

33. Are halves of shield joined in the middle.
Better than all books, are friends

34. Linked together with bonds that never curdle.
With she-mules whose halters

35. Are strapped, and the cinches well buckled.
Their ribs seem like stone font

36. From which water in plenty bubbles.
Their pupils gleam like mirrors

37. With fresh mercury fully lacquered.
Their interiors concealed,

38. As if no grain have they gobbled.
Their ears as if they are

39. Semi-circles finely chiselled.
So, sorrel like a hornet bound tightly,

40. And yellow as if richly saffroned.
Red like an ostrich drenched in blood

41. With belly gashed and legs buckled.
Stout forearms, huge saddle,

42. With deep curved waist for our revels.
As if a vision Jinn has seen,

43. Or a madman in chaos garbled!
Our comfort on them incumbent,

44. As if a duty non-negotiable.
Wild creatures panic on seeing them,

45. And flee with reins tightly tethered.
Even fleet creatures acknowledge,

46. Seeing them, that they'll be throttled.
They fling away what's despised,

47. And pick out the best when grovelled.
Increase our catch manifold -

48. Roasted, grilled or fried and jumbled!
A falcon aloft ready to swoop

49. On birds, with talons sharpened.
Like a shooting star or arrow

50. From taut bow that has just unravelled.
A Roman eagle woven as design,

51. On a carpet's pattern subtly scribbled.
Its claws as if carved in pure amber,

52. Then polished and nicely chiselled.
Swooping together on birds,

53. Then rising high and descending gently.
He attacked and felled many,

54. Partridges, larks and doves too huddled.
And more of geese, pigeons and grouse,

55. Till we had our fill of revels and jumbles.
Then we were struck by a cloud,

56. That shattered all of our dreams in one garble!