خَليلَيَّ لَستُ أَرى الحُبَّ عارا

فَلا تَعذُلاني خَلَعتُ العِذارا

My beloved, I see no shame in love

So reproach me not, for I've cast off restraint

وَكَيفَ تَصَبُّرُ مَن قَلبُهُ

يَكادُ مِنَ الحُبِّ أَن يُستَطارا

How can one show patience when his heart

Is near bursting with passion's fierce complaint

لَقَد تَرَكَ الوَجدُ نَفسي بِها

تَموتُ مِراراً وَتَحيا مِرارا

Desire has left my soul dying in her

To perish again and again for love's sweet pain

كِلانا مُحِبٌّ وَلَكِنَّني

عَلى الهَجرِ مِنها أَقَلُّ اِصطِبارا

Though we're both lovers, I less can endure

Parting from her, so little fortitude have I to sustain

إِذا قُلتُ أَسلو دَعاني الهَوى

فَأَلهَبَ في القَلبِ لِلشَوقِ نارا

When I said I would forget, passion called me

And lit in my heart a blaze of longing fire

وَأَحوَرَ وَسنانَ ذي غُنَّةٍ

كَأَنَّ بِوَجنَتِهِ الجُلَّنارا

It twisted the braids of one with a throat melodious

As if adorned with gleaming beads of ruby entire

كَساني مِنَ الحُبِّ ثَوبَ الجَوى

فَصارَ الشِعارَ وَصارَ الدِثارا

Passion robed me in the garb of love-madness

And made it my habit and cloak to attire

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي بِأَرضِ الشَآمِ

أَطَعتُ الهَوى وَشَرِبتُ العُقارا

Can you not see that in Damascus' land

I obeyed passion and drank love's elixir

شَرِبتُ وَنادَمَني شادِنٌ

صَغيرٌ وَإِنّي أُحِبُّ الصِغارا

I drank it and a young wine-pourer chastened me

Though young, for the young I hold much desire

وَصِرفَ رُصافِيَّةٍ قَهوَةٍ

تُميتُ الهُمومَ وَتُبدي السِرارا

The pouring of coffee by a lovely cup-bearer

Banishing cares and cheering the spirit with cheer

كُمَيتٍ رَحيقٍ إِذا صُفِّقَت

أَطارَت عَلى حافَّتَيها الشَرارا

A goblet of rich wine which when clinked

Sends sparks flying up from its crystalclear

لَقَد كِدتُ مِن حُبِّ خَمرِ البَلي

خِ أَن أَجعَلَ الشامَ أَهلاً وَدارا

I nearly made Damascus home for the love

Of wine, though forbidden in religion most austere

فَما زِلتُ أَسقيهِ حَتّى إِذا

ثَنى طَرفَهُ نَشوَةً وَاِستَدارا

I plied him with drink until when at last

His eyes grew drowsy with tipsiness sincere

نَهَضتُ إِلَيهِ فَقَبَّلتُهُ

وَعانَقتُهُ وَحَلَلتُ الإِزارا

I rose and kissed him and embraced him

And loosened all modesty's bonds sincere

وَقَد زادَني طَرَباً نَحوَهُ

مُضاجَعَةُ الياسَمينَ البَهارا

The scent of jasmine heightened my fervor for him

As we lay among the fragrant flowers without fear

أَتاني لَها شِعرُ ذي قُدرَةٍ

عَلى الشِعرِ قَد قالَ فِيَّ اِقتِدارا

A poet of great skill wrote verses about me

That showed admiration for my passion sincere

فَقُل لي رِضىً قَد رَضينا بِكُم

وَإِن كُنتُ لَستُ أُريدُ الخِيارا

Say to me, though you're displeased, we're content with you

For though I seek not the virtuous, your friendship I hold dear