وأغْيد وَسْنان اللّحاظِ قوامُه

قضيبُ نقاً يعلُوهُ بدرُ تمام

His slender figure sways like a supple branch,

Topped by the full moon of a radiant face.

مرامي سَواجيهِ أصابتْ مقاتلي

ولم أحظَ منهُ مَرةً بمرامي

My arrows sought his foes, but never him -

Never once did I aim my shafts his way.

فيا كبدي في الوصل منه تقطّعي

غراماً ويا نفسي اذْهبي بسلام

O my heart, severed by love for him,

O my soul, go in peace and wish him well.

ويا دمعي الجاري ونار جوانحي

قِفا حدّثا عن صبوتي وغرامي

O my ever-flowing tears, O fire in my breast,

Speak of my passion and my longing.

ولم أنس يوماً زرتُه وهو نائمٌ

وشوقي إليهِ جاذبٌ بزمامي

Never did I visit him, finding him asleep,

Without desire pulling me toward him.

فأضرمتُ بالتَّقْبيل نيران خدِّه

وأطفتُ بالتَّرشافِ حرَّ أوامي

I set alight - with kisses - the flames in his cheek,

And damped - with my saliva - the heat of his lip.

ونزَّهني في روضةٍ من خدودِه

وأسكَرني من ريقهِ بمُدامِ

He lodged me in the garden of his cheek,

And made me drunk with the wine of his mouth.

وما كان يرضي بالوصال وإنّما

توهّمني طيفاً لفرْطِ سقَامي

But he refused to countenance my desire;

I fancied him a phantom, sick was I.