ومختصر الخصر من بعده

ومختصر الخصر من بعده

هربت فالقيت في صده

هربت فالقيت في صده

And a slender-waisted one, from whose remoteness

And slender of waist from behind him

I fled, only to be cast into his rejection.

I fled but found in opposing him

وقابلني وجهه مقبلا

وقابلني وجهه مقبلا

بحد الحسام وإفر لده

بحد الحسام وإفر لده

His face met me, approaching,

And he faced me with his face forward

With a sword's edge and [perhaps its damascened sheen; text corrupt].

With the edge of a sword and bare arm

فما زلت أعصر من خدّه

فما زلت أعصر من خدّه

واقطف من مجتنى ورده

واقطف من مجتنى ورده

So I kept squeezing his cheek,

So I kept squeezing his cheek

And plucking from the harvest of his roses.

And plucking the ripe rose of it

أشمّ بنفسج أصداغه

أشمّ بنفسج أصداغه

وزهراً تعصفر في خده

وزهراً تعصفر في خده

I inhale the violets of his temples,

I smell the violet of his temples

And blossoms, safflower-hued, upon his cheek.

And a blossom that yellows his cheek

وأظما فأرشف من ريقه

وأظما فأرشف من ريقه

فياحر صدري من برده

فياحر صدري من برده

And I thirst, then sip his saliva—

And thirstily I sip his saliva

Ah, how my breast burns from its coolness!

So oh the coolness of my chest from it

وما للحاظ سوى وجهه

وما للحاظ سوى وجهه

وما للعناق سوى قده

وما للعناق سوى قده

And nothing for the gaze but his face,

And nothing to embracing except his stature

And nothing to embrace but his form.

And nothing to the pillow except his neck