يا حُسْنَ دَيْرِ سَعيدٍ إِذْ حَلَلْتَ بِهِ

والأَرْضُ والرَّوْضُ في وَشْيٍ وديباجِ

O beauty of the monastery of Sa'id, when you stayed there

While the land and garden were clad in brocade

فَما تَرى غُصْناً إِلا وزَهْرَتُهُ

تَجْلوهُ في جُبَّةٍ مِنْها ودُوّاجِ

You see no branch without its blossoms

Adorning it in a robe made thereof and lined

ولِلحَمائِمِ أَلْحانٌ تُذَكِّرُنا

أَحْبابَنا بَيْنَ أَرْمالٍ وأَهْزاجِ

And the doves have tunes reminding us

Of our loved ones amidst sand dunes and litters

ولِلنَسيمِ على الغُدْرانِ رَفْرَفَةٌ

يَزورُها فَتَلقَّاهُ بِأَمْواجِ

And the breeze has a fluttering on the tender plants

Visiting them, so they receive it with waves

والخمر تُجْلى عَلى خُطّابِها فَتَرى

عَرائِسَ الكَرْمِ قَدْ زُفَّتْ لأَزْواجِ

And the wine shines on its worshippers, so you see

The brides of the vineyard brought as brides to their grooms

وكُلَّنا مِنْ أَكاليلِ البَهارِ عَلى

رُؤوسنا كَأَنوشِرْوان في التّاجِ

And all of us have garlands of spring flowers

On our heads like Khusrau with his crown

ونَحْنُ في فَلَكِ اللَّهْوِ المُحيطِ بِنا

كَأَنَّنا في سَماءٍ ذاتِ أَبْراجِ

And we are in the sphere of the amusement surrounding us

As though we were in a heaven with towers

ولَسْتُ أَنْسى نِدامي وَسطَ هَيْكَلِهِ

حَتّى الصَّباحِ غَزالاً طَرْفُهُ ساجِ

And I do not forget my boon-companions amidst its temple

Until morning, a gazelle whose glance is magic

أَهَزُّ عِطْفَيْ قَضيبِ البانِ مُعْتَنِقاً

مِنْهُ وأَلْثُمُ عَيْنَيْ لُعْبَةِ العاجِ

I shake my curled side-lock embracing

The crook of the flute and kiss the dice of ivory

وقَوْلَتي والْتِفاتي عِنْدَ مُنْصَرَفي

والشَوْقُ يُزْعِجُ قَلْبي أَيَّ إِزْعاجِ

And my words and my glances when I turn away

And yearning perturbs my heart - what perturbation!

يا دَيْرُ يا لَيْتَ داري في فِنائِكَ أَوْ

يا لَيْتَ أَنْكَ في دَرْبِ دَرّاجِ

O monastery! Would that my abode were in your courtyard

Or would that you were on the path of my stead!