فَتَّكتَني طيزَنابا

ذَ وَقَد كُنتُ تَقِيّا

Tiznaba's butt has made me lose my piety

Tizanaba has ravaged my resolve,

When I had been so devout before

Though I was once a man of piety,

إِذ تَرَكتُ الماءَ فيها

وَشَرِبتُ الخُسرَوِيّا

Leaving the water in it

For I forsook the water in the cup,

I drank some Khosravan wine

And drank the royal vintage of Khosrow.

أَرضُ كَرمٍ تَجلِبُ الدَه

رَ شَراباً سابِرِيّا

A vineyard land brings sweet nectar

A vineyard land that yields, throughout all time,

As a refreshing Saberi drink

A wine of sheerest, light-infused distinctness,

وَغَزالٍ زانَ بِالقا

مَةِ رِدفاً بَربَرِيّا

And a gazelle mounted the camel

And a young gazelle whose standing figure graced

With a Berberi hindquarters

A backside heavy, of the Berber kind.

قادَهُ إِبليسُ طَوعاً

بَعدَما كانَ عَصِيّا

The devil led him willingly

The Devil led him down the path of will,

After he had been so defiant

Though he was once rebellious and shy.

فَسَقَيناهُ عَلى الوَر

دِ شَراباً ذَهَبِيّا

So we gave him to drink on the roses

We poured for him, amidst the blooming rose,

A golden drink

A golden liquor, radiant and bright,

وَكَشَفنا عَن بَياضِ ال

رِدفِ ثَوباً قَصَبِيّا

And uncovered the white of the hindquarters

And we unveiled the whiteness of the rump,

With a cane robe

Slipping aside the robe of linen fine.

فَوَجَدنا خِلفَهُ دِع

صاً مِنَ الثَلجِ نَقِيّا

Behind it we found a mold

We found his buttocks like a rolling dune,

Of snow so pure

A mound of snow, unsullied and pure.

فَرَكِبناهُ بِلا سَر

جٍ رُكوباً مَروَزِيّا

We rode him without saddle

And so we rode him, saddle-less and bare,

A Meroitic ride

A ride such as the folk of Merv enjoy,

وَحَمِدنا السَيرَ لَمّا

أَن رَأَيناهُ وَطِيّا

And praised the journey when

And we extolled the pacing of the course,

We saw him submissive

When we beheld him pliant to the spur.