بِأَبي أَهيَفَ مَعشوقَ العِذارِ

طابَ لي في حُبِّهِ خَلعُ العِذارِ

May my father ransom a slender one whose cheek-down is adored.

For love of him, casting off restraint became sweet to me.

جُلُّ ناري مِن جَنى وَجنَتَيهِ

لَيتَهُ يُطفى بِلَثمِ الجُلَّنارِ

Most of my fire comes from the fruit of his two cheeks.

Would that it might be quenched by kissing the pomegranate blossom.

بابِلِيُّ اللَحظِ مَعسولُ اللَمى

عاصَرَت أَنفاسُهُ صِرفَ العُقارِ

Babylonian is his glance; honeyed, the dusky hue of his lips.

His breaths vie with pure, unmixed wine.

وَجهُهُ كَالشَمسِ وَالفَرعُ الضُحى

عانَقَ اللَيلُ بِهِ شَمسَ النَهارِ

His face is like the sun, and his tresses are forenoon’s radiance.

In him, night embraced the daytime sun.

عَجَباً إِذ لَم أَذُق ريقَتَهُ

وَفُؤادي يَشتَكي داءَ الخُمارِ

How strange: I have not tasted his saliva,

yet my heart complains of the sickness of a hangover.