أَيُّها القادِمُ مِن بَص

أَيُّها القادِمُ مِن بَص

رَتِنا أَهلاً وَرَحبا

رَتِنا أَهلاً وَرَحبا

O you coming from Bas—

O you who come from the sight of our land, welcome!

O traveler arriving from our Basra, welcome and greetings to you,

—ra of ours: welcome, and a warm welcome!

Since when have you known Hamdan ibn Rahba?

How long has it been—by God—since you last saw Hamdan ibn Rahba?

مُذ مَتى عَهدُكَ بِاللَ

مُذ مَتى عَهدُكَ بِاللَ

هِ بِحَمدانَ اِبنِ رَحبا

هِ بِحَمدانَ اِبنِ رَحبا

How long since your last meeting—by Go—

It was when I bid farewell and set out on my mount

He was among those I bid farewell when I set my caravan to ride,

—d—with Hamdan, son of Rahba?

That if it was so, the palm of the hand was cheap to obtain.

And if he remains unchanged, then I clasped a hand tender and soft,

كانَ فيما كُنتُ وَدَّع

كانَ فيما كُنتُ وَدَّع

تُ وَقَد يَمَّمتُ رَكبا

تُ وَقَد يَمَّمتُ رَكبا

He was among those I had bid fare—

Indeed water of beauty was poured on his stature, pouring

For indeed, the waters of beauty have been poured over him in torrents,

—well, having set my course toward a caravan.

Until cheek and temple said: enough!

Poured until his cheek and throat cried out, 'It is enough!'

فَلَئِن كانَ كَذا صا

فَلَئِن كانَ كَذا صا

فَحتُ رَخصَ الكَفِّ رَطبا

فَحتُ رَخصَ الكَفِّ رَطبا

Then, if he was like that, I shook—

A chest, if it faces the eye or turns away, most excellent,

Broad of chest when facing the eye, yet when turning away, heavily laden,

—hands with someone soft-palmed and supple.

So you see the hips pulling the waist’s rein pulling.

You see his hips tugging sharply at the reins of his slender waist.

وَلَقَد صُبَّ عَلى أَع

وَلَقَد صُبَّ عَلى أَع

لاهُ ماءُ الحُسنِ صَبّا

لاهُ ماءُ الحُسنِ صَبّا

And indeed, poured over his up—

—per body was beauty's water, poured abundantly.

صُبَّ حَتّى قالَتِ الوَج

صُبَّ حَتّى قالَتِ الوَج

نَةُ وَاللُبَّةُ حَسبا

نَةُ وَاللُبَّةُ حَسبا

It was poured until his che—

—ek and the hollow of his throat said, 'Enough!'

أَصدَرٌ إِن واجَهَ العَي

أَصدَرٌ إِن واجَهَ العَي

نَ وَإِن وَلّى أَكَبّا

نَ وَإِن وَلّى أَكَبّا

Broad-chested when he faces the e—

—ye; and when he turns away, he bends forward.

فَتَرى الأَردافَ يَجذِب

فَتَرى الأَردافَ يَجذِب

نَ عِنانَ الخَصرِ جَذبا

نَ عِنانَ الخَصرِ جَذبا

So you see his buttocks tug—

—ging hard at the reins of his waist.