مَرَّت عَلى الخُفاشِ
مَليكَةُ الفَراشِ
The queen of the bed
Passed by the bat
تَطيرُ بِالجُموعِ
سَعياً إِلى الشُموعِ
Flying in swarms
Seeking candles
فَعَطَفَت وَمالَت
وَاِستَضحَكَت فَقالَت
She turned and leaned
And laughed, saying:
أَزرَيتَ بِالغَرامِ
يا عاشِقَ الظلامِ
Have you fallen in love
O lover of darkness?
صِف لي الصَديقَ الأَسوَدا
الخامِلَ المُجَرَّدا
Describe to me the black friend
The intimate naked one
قالَ سَأَلتِ فيهِ
أَصدَقَ واصِفيهِ
He said, you asked about
The most truthful describer of him
هُوَ الصَديقُ الوافي
الكامِلُ الأَوصافِ
He is the loyal friend
Perfect in description
جِوارُهُ أَمانُ
وَسِرُّهُ كِتمانُ
His company is safety
And his secret is concealment
وَطَرفُهُ كَليلُ
إِذا هَفا الخَليلُ
His glance is gentle
When the companion departs
يَحنو عَلى العُشّاقِ
يَسمَعُ لِلمُشتاقِ
He cares for lovers
And listens to the longing one
وَجُملَةُ المَقالِ
هُوَ الحَبيبُ الغالي
In summary
He is the precious beloved
فَقالَتِ الحَمقاءُ
وَقَولُها اِستِهزاءُ
The fool said
And her words were ridicule:
أَينَ أَبو المِسكِ الخَصي
ذو الثَمَنِ المُستَرخَصِ
Where is the eunuch of musk
Of exaggerated price
مِن صاحِبي الأَميرِ
الظاهِرِ المُنيرِ
From my companion the prince
The apparent luminous one
إِن عُدَّ فيمَن أَعرِفُ
أَسمو بِهِ وَأَشرُفُ
If he is counted among those I know
I name him and pride myself of him
وَإِن سُئِلتُ عَنهُ
وَعَن مَكاني مِنهُ
And if I am asked about him
And my position from him
أُفاخِرُ الأَترابا
وَأَنثَني إِعجابا
I boast to my peers
And am infatuated with admiration
فَقالَ يا مَليكَه
وَرَبَّةَ الأَريكَه
He said, O queen
And mistress of the couch
إِنَّ مِنَ الغُرورِ
مَلامَةَ المَغرورِ
Verily, arrogance is to
Blame the arrogant
فَأَعطِني قَفاك
وَاِمضي إِلى الهَلاك
So turn your back to me
And go to perdition
فَتَرَكَتهُ ساخِرَه
وَذَهَبَت مُفاخِرَه
She left him laughing
And went with her boasting
وَبَعدَ ساعَةٍ مَضَت
مِنَ الزَمانِ فَاِنقَضَت
And after an hour passed
Of time, it expired
مَرَّت عَلى الخُفّاشِ
مَليكَةُ الفَراشِ
The queen of the bed passed
By the bat
ناقِصَةَ الأَعضاءِ
تَشكو مِنَ الفَناءِ
Missing limbs
Complaining of death
فَجاءَها مُنهَمِكا
يُضحِكُهُ مِنها البُكا
He came to her worried
Laughing at her crying
قالَ أَلَم أَقُل لَكِ
هَلكتِ أَو لَم تَهلِكي
He said, did I not tell you
You perish or you don't perish
رُبَّ صَديقٍ عَبدِ
أَبيَضُ وَجهِ الوُدِّ
How many white-faced friends
Who would sacrifice themselves like chiefs
يَفديكَ كَالرَئيسِ
بِالنَفسِ وَالنَفيسِ
With soul and valuables
And companions like light
وَصاحِبٍ كَالنورِ
في الحُسنِ وَالظُهورِ
In beauty and appearance
With clenched heart
مُعتَكِرَ الفُؤادِ
مُضَيِّعَ الوِدادِ
Wasting affection
His closeness is traps
جِبالُهُ أَشراكُ
وَقُربُهُ هَلاكُ
And his nearness is ruin
