1. She clothed me in the garb of passionate love,
She who was clad in the raiment of captivation.

2. She who made lawful the torment of a compliant lover,
Yet forbade his lips from attaining that torment.

3. She dyed my teeth with the blood of the wretched one,
Would that my soul be ransom for that dye!

4. When she scratched her cheek with her teeth
The roses bore fruit and the berries reddened.

5. She let down her tresses, and her flowing hair came,
Seeking drink from the purity of the wine.

6. So she gave him to drink of pleasure and the sweetest
Nectar, what a drinker of pleasure he was!

7. With her saliva she told me of the wine,
And of the melted sugar, the planted cane.

8. Whenever she lets down the veil of her cheek,
The sun of the morn hides behind the veil.

9. Though I am an old man, I am smitten with love for her,
Praiseworthy among old men that are love-smitten!

10. A gazelle who makes even the ostrich draw near,
Oh, my remote one, with that nearing!

11. The magic of her glance weaves nets,
To catch the lions, the lions of the jungle.

12. Her eyelids clothed me, though sick,
In the garments of emaciation, the shabbiest clothes.

13. She made my hair white like a raven’s
With distance, aloofness, and estrangement.

14. Without a doubt my hair would not have turned white,
Since it is impossible for the raven’s hair to turn white.

15. If she had loved me after my hair turned white,
My youthful beauty would have returned after graying.

16. If you could see the passionate lover after distance and separation,
You would find him in misery and melancholy.

17. See him as a corpse, not to be concealed,
With his tears streaming down in outpouring.

18. She is the full moon, truly she is a shooting star
That seizes the sun, if it appeared in absence.

19. Whoever sees the full moon as one star among stars
Is mistaken in that, wrong in judgment.

20. She is no full moon, whoever is not a shooting star,
Rather, the full moon is the essence of the shooting star.

21. Ahmad al-Barr, the guided imam,
Peerless in his time, quintessence of the elite.

22. The banner of excellence, to whom it is gestured,
That he is peerless, without any doubt.

23. Possessor of sublime qualities upon pillars of honor
Built lofty, sublime foundations.

24. He excels, though he is uniquely intelligent,
Praiseworthy among the generous, the excelling.

25. Of perfect virtue over good traits he folds over
The good dissemination in excellent couplets.

26. And in these he encompasses essence, deed,
Attributes and, in speech, rectitude.

27. There is nothing else beside him but what
He attained generously through effort.

28. The brilliant eloquent one, highest of the eloquent,
Who encompassed wisdom and separated discourse.