اِكتُبي إِن كَتَبتِ يا مُنيَةَ النَف

سِ بِنُصحٍ وَرِقَّةٍ وَبَيانِ

Write, if you must write, O desire of my soul, with counsel, tenderness, and clarity;

Make frequent errors in the letter, and erase them with the moisture of your tongue, not with your fingertips;

كَثِّري السَهوَ في الكِتابِ وَمُجّي

هِ بِريقِ اللِسانِ لا بِالبَنانِ

And pass the binding cord between your sweet, beautiful, parted front teeth;

For whenever I pass by a line containing an erasure, I lick it with my own tongue;

وَأَمِرّي الحِزامَ بَينَ ثَنايا

كِ العِذابِ المُفَلَّجاتِ الحِسانِ

And I perceive that as a kiss from afar, bringing me joy though I have not left my place.

إِنَّني كُلَّما مَرَرتُ بِسَطرٍ

فيهِ مَحوٌ لَطَعتُهُ بِلِساني

فَأَرى ذاكَ قُبلَةً مِن بَعيدٍ

أَسعَدَتني وَما بَرِحتُ مَكاني