لولا هواكِ وجلَّ خطبُ هواكِ

ما كنت يوم سراكِ من أسراكِ

Had it not been for your love and the gravity of your love's affairs

I would not have one day loosened your braids

ولما وقفتُ وللجفون حبائلٌ

من شعرها المسودّ في أشراك

And when I stood, though my eyelids were weighed down

By her black hair's snares in my bosom

فطنَ الوشاةُ بفيكِ فلم أنل

منكِ المنى فإليكِ أشكو فاكِ

The spies were aware of your troth so I did not attain

The object of my desire, so to you I complain of my misery

وزعمتِ أن العهد باق ثابت

ونعمْ فأين لذاذةُ الإدراك

And you claimed the pact was fixed and binding

But where is the sweetness of union?

ولئن جزعتِ لطرف عينٍ فاسقٍ

فوراءهُ قلبٌ من النّساك

And if you grieve for a debauched glance

Behind it is a heart of devotees

لا ذاقَ قلبي من طلولك سلوةً

فهو الذي أغناكِ عن مغناك

My heart has not tasted the joy of your favours

It is that which has made you independent of your singer

لولاه ما أضرمتُ نارَ جوانحي

ونحرتُ حمر مدامعي لقراك

Had it not been for it, I would not have kindled the fire of my soul

And I would not have sacrificed the red of my tears for your sake

يا ليلةً سمحَ الزمان بكونها

لولا الرقيبُ لقلتُ ما أحلاك

Oh, for a night the times would allow to be

But for the watcher I would say what sweets you have!

أمغنّي الشّربِ الكرام بها أعدْ

ومديرةَ الصهباء هاتِ وهاك

Give me some noble drink on it I will prepare

And the blonde server bring her here and take this

أرسلتها حمراء كالياقوت في

بيضاء صافية كدمع الباكي

I sent it red as ruby in

Pure white like the tear of a weeping cloud

كادت تطير من الزُّجاج وإنما

صاغ المزاج لها خفيَّ شباك

It almost flew from the glass but

The mold gave it a hidden mesh

فاللون من خدَّيك والنشواتُ من

عينيك والنفحات من ريَّاك

The color is from your cheeks, the bubbles from

Your eyes, the smells from your saliva

وكأنما مسكيُّ أنفاس الصّبا

لفظُ الهناء بعاشرِ الأملاك

As if the sighs of the morning breeze

Were musk exhaled by the highest of angels