وَعلِّقتُهُ ما اسودَّ مِنهُ سِوى المُقَل

وَوافِر دَيجورٍ عَلى الرِدفِ قَد أَطَل

I hung it when nothing of it had blackened but the stopper,

And ample Dayjur was trailing over the rear.

بِقَدٍّ كَأَنَّ الخُوط عاطاهُ لينَهُ

وَوَجهٍ كَأنَّ البَدرَ فيهِ قَد اِكتَمَل

With a form whose bending lines lent it suppleness,

And a face like the full moon when it is complete.

أَقَمنا زَماناً وَصلُنا لمحُ ناظِرٍ

وَجلسَةُ أُنسٍ تَهزِمُ القَلبَ بِالشُّعَل

For a time we halted, greeted by a glance,

And a session of intimacy that conquers the heart with flames.

فَلا جُرأة منّي فأهجم لاثِماً

وَلا رَحمة مِنهُ فَيَرحَم من قَتل

I had no daring to assault her wrongfully,

Nor did she have pity to show mercy to one slain.

وَلَمّا تَصاوَنّا حَياءً وَحِشمَةً

وَتُقتُ إِلى التَقبيلِ أَوسَعتُ في الحِيل

But when we both showed coyness and modesty

And I was led to kissing, I employed great cunning.

وَضَعتُ عَلى عَينيهِ منّي أَنامِلاً

وَغَمَّضتُ من عَينيَّ فانساعت القُبَل

I placed my fingers over her eyes as blinders

And closed my own eyes, so the kisses spread wide.

رَشَفتُ رُضاباً نَفحةُ المسكِ دُونَهُ

كَأَنَّ بِهِ الصَهباءُ شُجَّ بِها العَسَل

I sipped, made fragrant by the breath of musk from her,

As though into the pale red sap sweetness was poured.

وَصِرتُ مَتى أَلثِمه أصنع بِهِ كَذا

فَيا لَكِ مِنها حيلة تُبلِغُ الأَمَل

And I contrived that, whenever I kissed her,

O what a cunning device to attain one's hopes!

وَطالَ بِنا هَذا فَزالَ حَياؤُها

وَصِرنا لأَمرٍ لا حَياءَ وَلا خَجَل

This went on, so her shyness departed,

And we attained a state of no shyness or shame.

فَعانَقتُ من عطفيهِ دِعصا وَخَوطَةً

وَذَبَّلتُ من خَدَّيهِ وَرداً وَما ذَبل

Then I embraced bracelets and anklets from her wrists and feet

And plucked roses and buds from her cheeks.

فَطَوَّقتُ جيدَينا بِحَيَّةِ شعرِهِ

إِذا ما سعت للمتن دبت إِلى الكفل

I encircled our two necks with the necklace of her hair

Which, if it slackened from the nape, crept to the collarbone.

تجنّبتُ ما يَختارُ مِنهُ ذَوو الخَنا

قَبيحَ فَعالٍ يُوجِبُ المَقتَ وَالزّلَل

I avoided what the licentious choose of it,

An ugly deed that causes loathing and disgrace.

فَلم أَرَ مِثلِي عاشِقاً ذا صَبابَةٍ

تَمكَّنَ مِما يَشتَهيهِ وَما فَعل

Unlike any lover of my youthful passion

I attained the object of my desire, incomparably.