سَلامٌ عَلى سَلمى وَمَن حَلَّ بِالحِمى

وَحُقَّ لِمِثلي رِقَّةً أَن يُسَلِّما

Peace be upon my friend, and those who have stayed with me

It is right for one like me to be gentle in his greetings

وَماذا عَلَيها أَن تَرُدُّ تَحِيَّةً

عَلَينا وَلكِن لا اِحتِكامَ عَلى الدُمى

Why should she not return a kind word

When we greet her - though not judging on hearsay

سَروا وَظَلامُ اللَيلِ أَرخى سُدولَهُ

فَقُلتُ لَها صَبّاً غَريباً مُتَيَّما

The cypresses swayed, and night’s darkness lowered its veils

So I said to her one strange, lonely morning

أَحاطَت بِهِ الأَشواقُ صَوتاً وَأُرصِدَت

لَهُ راشِقاتُ النَبلِ أَيّانُ يَمَّما

Yearnings surrounded her voice, and the archers lay in wait

For whenever her glance might turn

فَأَبدَت ثَناياها وَأَومَضَ بارِقٌ

فَلَم أَدرِ مَن شَقَّ الحَنادِسَ مِنهُما

Then her cheeks showed, and a lightning flash

So I could not tell who it was that split their fire in two

وَقالَت أَما يَكفيهِ أَنّي بِقَلبِهِ

يُشاهِدُني في كُلِّ وَقتٍ أَما أَما

She said, “Isn’t it enough that he can see me

In his heart at any moment - oh, at any moment?”