1. صُحَين الكنافة

    بقطر النبات

    A little dish of kunafa,

    with rock-sugar syrup—

  2. متى يا حبيبي

    عنيدي تبات

    when, my beloved,

    will you spend the night beside me,

  3. واحظي بوصلك

    قُبَيل الممات

    and I enjoy union with you

    just before death?

  4. فباللَه قل لي

    متى الملتقى

    So, by God, tell me:

    when shall we meet?

  5. أيا مَن قشع شي

    يسمى الكلاج

    O you who have seen something

    called kulaj,

  6. فصبري كموز ما بقى

    له بقى

    for my patience, like bananas, has nothing

    left to it.

  7. يقول له إذا جاء

    بحب لي مزاج

    It says to it, when it arrives:

    "I like a blend for myself."

  8. ولو كان عليه لوز

    وفستق رقى

    And even if it had almonds on it,

    and pistachios from Raqqa,

  9. وخليه بماء ورد

    كان يُستقى

    and leave it in rosewater

    with which it used to be watered.

  10. إذا فاح تفاح

    بوجنات دوامي

    When apples waft their fragrance

    on blood-red cheeks,

  11. يا روحي فروحي

    لنحوه دوام

    O my soul, then go

    toward it always,

  12. ولا تختشي من

    عذول ملام

    and do not shrink from

    a reproachful faultfinder.

  13. وإن كفَّ كفُّ المُنى

    عن لِقا

    And if the hand of wishes holds back

    from a meeting,

  14. فإني فاني

    إذن في شقا

    then I shall perish,

    in misery, then.