يا صَبوة قَد أَتَتني آخر العُمُرِ

تَذكر القَلب ما قَد كانَ في الصِغَرِ

O youth that has come to me at the end of life

Reminding my heart of what was in childhood

إِني كَلفت بِريم قَد تَقنصني

إشراك مقلته

I was burdened with a debt that stripped me

Allowing me to pluck fresh, blooming, verdant roses

أَباحَ لي قَطفَ وَردٍ يانِعٍ نَضِرٍ

وَرَشف شهدٍ شَهيّ عاطرٍ خَصِرِ

And to sip sweet, fragrant, aromatic nectar

Oh, his beauty and the scent of comfort in his mouth

يا حُسنَه وَأَريجَ الراح في فَمه

كَالمسك ذُرَّ عَلى صافٍ مِن الدُرَرِ

Like musk sprinkled on pure pearls

And how wonderful the down on his cheeks showed

وَحَبَّذا زَغَبٌ في وَجنَتَيهِ بَدا

هُوَ السياجُ عَلى رَوضٍ مِن الزَهَرِ

It is the fence around a garden of flowers

A rose that doubles its love twofold

وَرد يُضاعف حبيه مُضاعَفة

وَنَرجس زين بالتذييل وَالحوَرِ

And a narcissus adorned with pendulous blossoms

In it is a subtle meaning that can only be grasped

وَفيهِ مَعنى لَطيف لَيسَ يُدركه

إِلا فَتى مُؤثر للعقل لا الصُوَرِ

By one who values intellect over superficiality

An affinity was confirmed between our souls

تَوكَّدَت بَينَ روحينا مُناسَبَةٌ

لِذَلِكَ اِتَفَقا في الوِرد وَالصَدَرِ

Thus we agreed on roses and on breasts

And in the embrace of our bodies you would see a wonder

وَفي تَعانُق جسمينا تَرى عَجَباً

إِثنان قَد ظَهَرا فَرداً لِذي النَظَرِ

Two, who to the observant eye, appeared as one

With him I had no need for any singing girl

وَقَد غنيت بِهِ عَن كُل غانِيَةٍ

مَن أَدرَك العَين لا يَعتَدُّ بِالأثَرِ

For he who beholds the spring has no use for footsteps