يا مُبيحَ الدَمعِ في الطَلَلِ

راكِباً مِنهُ إِلى أَمَلِ

O you who permit your tears to flow at the ruins,

Riding from that grief toward some hope,

أُلهُ عَمّا أَنتَ طالِبُهُ

مِن جَوابِ النُؤيِ وَالطَلَلِ

Distract yourself from what you are seeking—

An answer from the trench-trace and the empty remains.

بِبَناتِ الشَمسِ ما مَنَعَت

نَفسَها مِن لَمسِ مُبتَذَلِ

Turn to the Daughters of the Sun, who have not withheld

Themselves from the touch of a common hand;

ما لَها في الكَأسِ مِن نَسَبٍ

غَيرِ ما تَجني مِنَ الشُعَلِ

She has no lineage within the cup

Other than what she gathers from the flames.

يَذهَبُ الجاني جِنايَتَها

في مَقَرِّ النَفسِ بِالمَهَلِ

The one who harvests her takes her yield

Into the resting place of the soul, at leisure.

تَتَمَرّى بِالعُيونِ لَما

يَتَغَشّاها مِنَ الوَشَلِ

She admires her reflection in the eyes because

Of the water that comes to overwhelm her.

فَإِذا ما الماءُ واقَعَها

أَظهَرَت شَكلاً مِنَ الغَزَلِ

And when the water falls upon her,

She reveals a form of amorous play:

لُؤلُؤاتٍ يَنحَدِرنَ بِها

كَانحِدارِ الدَمعِ في عَجَلِ

Pearls that descend within her flow,

Like the rolling of tears in haste.

فَإِذا ما المَرءُ قَبَّلَها

أَسكَرَتهُ لَذَّةُ القُبَلِ

So when a man leans in to kiss her,

The pleasure of the kisses intoxicates him.