وَلَيلٍ تَعاطَينا المُدامَ وَبَينَنا

حَديثٌ كَما هَبَّ النَسيمُ عَلى الوَردِ

On a night, we drank wine, and between us

Was talk, like a breeze blowing on roses

نُعاوِدُهُ وَالكاسُ يَعبَقُ نَفحَةً

وَأَطيَبُ مِنهُ مانُعيدُ وَما نُبدي

We resume it, as the cup breathes fragrance

And sweeter than it, is what we repeat and express

وَنقلي أَقاحُ الثَغرِ أَو سَوسَنَ الطُلى

وَنَرجِسَةُ الأَجفانِ أَو وَردَةُ الخَدِّ

The lips move, or the lily of the cheeks

The narcissus of the eyelids, or the rose of the cheek

إِلى أَن سَرَت في جِسمِهِ الكاسُ وَالكَرى

وَمالا بِعَطفَيهِ فَمالَ عَلى عَضُدي

Until the cup and tipsiness spread through his body

And he leaned towards me, leaning on my shoulder

فَأَقبَلتُ أَستَهدي لِما بَينَ أَضلُعي

مِنَ الحَرِّ مابَينَ الضُلوعِ مِنَ البَردِ

So I started feeling what was between my ribs

Of heat, what's between ribs of cold

وَعايَنتُهُ قَد سُلَّ مِن وَشيِ بُردِهِ

فَعايَنتُ مِنهُ السَيفَ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

And I saw him having unsheathed his cold blade

So I saw the sword unsheathed from its scabbard

لَيانُ مَجَسٍّ وَاِستِقامَةُ قامَةٍ

وَهَزَّةُ أَعطافٍ وَرَونَقُ إِفرِندِ

The straightness of a firmly held spear

The supple swing of the loins and grace of the gown

أُغازِلُ مِنهُ الغُصنَ في مَغرَسِ النَقا

وَأَلثُمُ وَجهَ الشَمسِ في مَطلَعِ السَعدِ

I flirt with its branch in the narcissus bed

And kiss the face of the sun at the rise of the auspicious one

فَإِن لَم يَكُنها أَو تَكُنهُ فَإِنَّهُ

أَخوها كَما قُدَّ الشِراكُ مِن الجِلدِ

If it’s not her or resembling her then

He's her brother, as the bucket-rope is to the well

تُسافِرُ كِلتا راحَتَيَّ بِجِسمِهِ

فَطَوراً إِلى خَصرٍ وَطَوراً إِلى نَهدِ

My two hands travel over his body

Going down to the waist, going up to the breast

فَتَهبِطُ مِن كَشحَيهِ كَفَّي تَهامَةً

وَتَصعَدُ مِن نَهدَيهِ أُخرى إِلى نَجدِ

Descending from his armpits my palms greedily

And the other ascending again towards the summit