اِكتُبي إِن كَتَبتِ يا مُنيَةَ النَف

اِكتُبي إِن كَتَبتِ يا مُنيَةَ النَف

سِ بِنُصحٍ وَرِقَّةٍ وَبَيانِ

سِ بِنُصحٍ وَرِقَّةٍ وَبَيانِ

Write, if you write, O my soul's desire,

Write, if you must write, O desire of my soul, with counsel, tenderness, and clarity;

with sincerity, tenderness, and clarity.

Make frequent errors in the letter, and erase them with the moisture of your tongue, not with your fingertips;

كَثِّري السَهوَ في الكِتابِ وَمُجّي

كَثِّري السَهوَ في الكِتابِ وَمُجّي

هِ بِريقِ اللِسانِ لا بِالبَنانِ

هِ بِريقِ اللِسانِ لا بِالبَنانِ

Make many slips in the letter, and wet

And pass the binding cord between your sweet, beautiful, parted front teeth;

it with your tongue's saliva, not with your fingertips.

For whenever I pass by a line containing an erasure, I lick it with my own tongue;

وَأَمِرّي الحِزامَ بَينَ ثَنايا

وَأَمِرّي الحِزامَ بَينَ ثَنايا

كِ العِذابِ المُفَلَّجاتِ الحِسانِ

كِ العِذابِ المُفَلَّجاتِ الحِسانِ

And pass the band between your front teeth,

And I perceive that as a kiss from afar, bringing me joy though I have not left my place.

sweet, spaced apart, and lovely.

إِنَّني كُلَّما مَرَرتُ بِسَطرٍ

إِنَّني كُلَّما مَرَرتُ بِسَطرٍ

فيهِ مَحوٌ لَطَعتُهُ بِلِساني

فيهِ مَحوٌ لَطَعتُهُ بِلِساني

Indeed, whenever I come upon a line

with an erasure in it, I lick it with my tongue.

فَأَرى ذاكَ قُبلَةً مِن بَعيدٍ

فَأَرى ذاكَ قُبلَةً مِن بَعيدٍ

أَسعَدَتني وَما بَرِحتُ مَكاني

أَسعَدَتني وَما بَرِحتُ مَكاني

So I see that as a kiss from afar,

that has delighted me though I have not left my place.