أَلَم يُسَقِّيَني سُلافَةَ ريقِهِ

أَلَم يُسَقِّيَني سُلافَةَ ريقِهِ

وَطَوراً يُحَيِّني بِآسِ عِذارِ

وَطَوراً يُحَيِّني بِآسِ عِذارِ

Did he not give me the choicest wine of his saliva to drink,

Did he not quench my thirst with the saliva of his mouth

and at times greet me with the myrtle of his cheek-down?

And for a while revive me with the wine of his excuse?

فَنِلتُ مُرادَ النَفسِ مِن أُقحُوانَةٍ

فَنِلتُ مُرادَ النَفسِ مِن أُقحُوانَةٍ

شَمَمتُ عَلَيها نَفحَةً لِعَرارِ

شَمَمتُ عَلَيها نَفحَةً لِعَرارِ

So I attained my soul’s desire from a chrysanthemum blossom,

So I attained the desire of my soul through his kiss

upon which I smelled a waft of ʿarār,

I perceived upon it a scent of magnolia

وَوَجهٍ تَخالُ الخالَ في صَحنِ خَدِّهِ

وَوَجهٍ تَخالُ الخالَ في صَحنِ خَدِّهِ

فُتاتَةَ مِسكٍ فَوقَ جُذوَةِ نارِ

فُتاتَةَ مِسكٍ فَوقَ جُذوَةِ نارِ

and from a face—you would take the mole on his cheek’s expanse

And a face whose moles in the apple of his cheek

for a fleck of musk upon a glowing ember of fire.

Were like crumbled musk over a brazier's embers