حَدِيْثُ عَذْلٍ وَغَرامٍ قَدِيمْ

جَوانِحِي مِنْ بَرْدِهِ فِي حَمِيمْ

A tale of blame and old passion

My being shivers from its chill heat

وَرَوْضَةٍ فِيها رَقِيبٌ لَنا

يا لَيْتَهُ اعْتَلَّ اعْتِلالَ النَّسِيمْ

A garden wherein a watcher lies in wait for us

Would that a gentle breeze had wafted him away

وَنافِرٍ آنَسْتُ مِنْ خَدِّهِ

ناراً لَها قَلْبِي المُعَنَّى كَلِيمْ

A cheek whose down I glimpsed afire

A flame that consumed my tender heart

فِيها هَوَى قَلْبِيَ لَمَّا مَشَى

عَلى صِراطِ العارِضِ المُسْتَقِيمْ

Wherein did my heart swoon when he walked

Along the path of the slim and upright

بَنَفْسَجٌ فَوقَ اللَّمَى ذابِلٌ

وَوَرْدُ خَدٍّ تَحْتَ ماءِ النَّعِيمْ

A lavender atop the radiant cheek

And a rose on the water of bliss

وَسْنانُ مِن وَسْواسِ عَيْنِيْ بِهِ

تُواصِلُ الغُسْلَ بِماء النَّعِيمْ

A tooth from my eyes' delusion with it

Drawing immaculate water from the spring

كَأَنَّ جِسْمِي فِي دُموعِي وَقَدْ

عايَنْتُهُ سِلْكٌ وَدُرٌّ نَظِيمْ

My body seemed in my tears to have seen

A well-ordered pearl necklace and gems

تَدارَكِي الأَنْفاسَ يا أَدْمُعي

فَإِنَّها نَارٌ وَجِسْمِي هَشِيمْ

Spare my breath O my tears

For it is fire and my body tinder

بِصُبْحِ مَرآهُ حَمَدْتُ السُّرَى

يا ناظِرِيْ فِي شَعْرِ لَيْلٍ بَهِيمْ

At dawn I praised the pearly specks

O ye who looked upon the hair of an amazed night

نامَ رَقِيبِي عَنْ حَبِيبِي فَقُمْ

يا سَاقِيَ الرَّاحِ وَقُلْ يا نَدِيمْ

My watcher slept, arise O cupbearer

And say O boon companion

لاَ تَنْتُجُ الأَفْراحُ إلاَّ إِذْا

مَسَّ ابْنَةَ الكَرْمِ ابْنُ مُزْنٍ كَرِيمْ

Joys are not born unless

The scions of generosity meet

رَقِيقَةٌ صَفْراءُ فَاعْجَبْ لَها

مِزاجُها مُنْحَرِفٌ مُسْتَقِيمْ

A slender golden girl - marvel at her

Her texture deviant yet upright

رَشَفْتُ ساقِيْهَا وِإبْرِيقَهُ

كِلاهُما خُيِّلَ لِي مِنْهُ رِيمْ

I sipped her goblet and the pitcher

Both seemed to me therein a draft