غُصن مِن البان في أَثواب سَوسانِ

مَسيّجٌ وَرد خَديهِ بِريحانِ

A branch of euphorbia dressed in a garment of lilies,

His rosy cheeks fenced about with sweet basil.

وَرد مِن الحُسن حار في اسرتِهِ

لا يُصدر الطَرف عَنهُ غَير ظَمآنِ

A rose in beauty's mantle imprisoned,

That sends forth naught but the thirsty glance of desire.

مُستَعطف لِقُلوب الناس مَنطقهُ

تَلقاهُ مِن كُلِ إِنسان بِإِنسانِ

His speech, that captivates all hearts,

Is met from every fellow by his fellow.

ما لَذَّة الراح إِلّا أَن تَكون لَنا

مدارة مِن يَديهِ وَسَط بُستانِ

No joy in life unless to us it come

Twined in his fingers mid the garden close.

وَردية قَد كَساها حينَ شَعشعها

مِن وَرد خَديهِ صبغاً ذَلِكَ الجاني

A rosebud he, when first its sheen uncloses,

Dyed with the rosy red that streaks his cheek the while.

مُقابل في الرُبا وَالكَأس في يَدِهِ

وَرداً بِوَرد وَرَيحاناً بِرَيحانِ

Facing him with the wine-cup in his hand,

A rose instead of rose, and basil-spray for basil-spray.

بَدر إِذا حَجَبوهُ عَن نَواظرنا

عَوضنَ عَن لُؤلؤٍ رَطب بِعقيانِ

If they should veil the full moon from our eyes,

They’d give us in exchange a single rainy night.