سَعَت حَيَّةٌ مِن شَعرِهِ نَحوَ صُدغِهِ

سَعَت حَيَّةٌ مِن شَعرِهِ نَحوَ صُدغِهِ

وَما اِنفَصَلَت مِن خَدِّهِ إِنَّ ذا عَجَب

وَما اِنفَصَلَت مِن خَدِّهِ إِنَّ ذا عَجَب

A serpent crept from his hair toward his temple;

A snake from his hair moved toward his temple,

and it did not part from his cheek—truly, this is a marvel.

And did not leave his cheek—indeed, this is a wonder.

وَأَعجَبُ مِن ذا أَنَّ سلسالَ ريقه

وَأَعجَبُ مِن ذا أَنَّ سلسالَ ريقه

بَرُودٌ وَلَكن شَبَّ في قَلبيَ اللَهَب

بَرُودٌ وَلَكن شَبَّ في قَلبيَ اللَهَب

Still more wondrous is that the limpid flow of his saliva

And stranger than this is that his sweet-flowing saliva

is cool—yet in my heart the flame blazed up.

Is cool, yet the flame blazed in my heart.