يا مَليحاً قَد أَبدَعَ اللَه شَكلَهُ

وَظَريفا لَم تَنظُر العَين مِثلَه

O beautiful one, God has perfectly created your form

And graceful one, eyes have not seen the like of you

اِنَّ لي حاجَة اِلَيكَ فَحقق

حُسن ظَنّي فَاِنَّها مِنكَ سَهله

I am in need of you, so fulfill

My good expectations, for it is easy for you

قَبلى أَجتَني بها وَرد خَدّي

كَ وَأَشفى بِه الفُؤاد الموله

Greet me with a kiss on my cheek

That will heal my loving heart

جد بها كُلَّما أَراكَ وَاِلّا

أَكتَفي مِنكَ كُل شَهر بِقُبلَه

Do it whenever I see you, else

I will be content with a kiss from you each month

وَاِتخذها عِندي يَدا وَجَميلا

سيما اِن سَمَحت من غَيرِ مُهلَه

And make it customary with me, a hand and beauty

Especially if you allow without delay

وَاِغتَنِم يا ملح أَجرى فانّي

صِرت بَينَ الوَرى بِحُبِّكَ مِثله

And seize the opportunity, O salt, for I

Have become like you among people in love

قَتَلتَني مَعاطف منكَ هيف

وَلِحاظ سِيافَة شَرّ قَتلَه

Your affection has killed me completely

And the blankets of swords are the worst killings

وَهَداني ضِياء وَجهِكَ لما

تهت في غَبهب الشُعور المَضله

And your face's light has guided me when

I lost my way in the dark valleys of feelings

فَاِتَّقِ اللَه في فَتاك وَقُل لي

قَتل مِثلي يُباح في أَيّ مله

So fear Allah regarding killing me and tell me

Is it lawful to kill the likes of me in any country?

رِفقَتي في الهَوى شُموس وَنَدما

ني بُدور وَأَهل ودّي أَهله

My friends in love are suns while, in contrast,

My family and loved ones are people

وَفُؤادي وَان تصبر مُغرى

مُغرم يعرف الغَرام محله

And my heart, though it pretends patience

Is a lover who knows the place of passion

فَاتخذني عَبدا فاني أَنا الصا

دِق في الوُدّ وَاِترُك الناسَ جُملَه

So take me as a slave, for I am the one

Truthful in love, and leave all people

أَنا أَهواكَ يا مَليح وَلكِن

يَعلَمُ اللَه اِنَّهُ لا لعله

I love you, O beautiful one, but

Allah knows it is not "mayhap"

أَنا عفّ الضَمير تأنف نَفسي

في الهَوى كل خُصله تغضب اللَه

I am pure in conscience, my soul disdains

Every trait in love that angers Allah

سل وُلاة الغَرام عَنّي وَعن عف

ة نَفسي فَتِلك فيّ جبله

Ask the governors of passion about me and about my soul's purity

For that is my natural disposition

لَست أَرضى الهوان في مَذهب الحُب

وَلا اَطلُب الوِصال بذله

I do not accept humiliation in the doctrine of love

Nor do I seek union through humiliation

مَذهَبي أَعشِق الجَمال وَمَهما

لاحَ ظَبي أَهواهُ أَوّل وَهلَه

My doctrine is to love beauty, and wherever

An elegant gazelle appears, I love it right away

وَاِذا ما اِدَّعى العذول سَلوّى

فَعَلى صَبوَتي أَقيم الادِلّة

And if the celibates claim about my ways

I will establish the proofs upon my youth