أَفدي غلاماً قَطُّ ما قَطَّبا

إِن غَيرُهُ رَسبَنَ أَو قَلتَبا

I ransomed a boy never shaved his head before

If another has outgrown his clothes or worn through his sole

قَلتُ لَهُ ما اِسمُكَ يا أَحسَنَ الت

تُركِ جَميعاً قالَ أَلطونَبا

I said, what's your name, O most beautiful

Leave them all, he said, Altonaba

في خَدِّهِ نُقطَةُ مِسكٍ هِيَ ال

خالُ وَصُدغٌ خِلتُهُ عَقرَبا

On his cheek a drop of musk, it's the

Mole, and a cheek whose beauty a scorpion etched

يَنحَلُّ عِقدُ الصَبرِ مِنّي إِذا

ما شَدَّ فَوقَ الخَصرِ بَندَ القَبا

The knot of patience unravels in me whenever

He ties, above the waist, his belt

هاروتُ في أَجفانِهِ نازِلٌ

سِحراً وَماروتُ بِها طَنَّبا

Harut resides seducingly upon his eyelids

And Marut making eyes at them

ما اِفتَرَّ إِلا خِلتَ في فيهِ سِم

طُ الدُرِّ مِن أَصدافِهِ رُكِّبا

It disclosed nothing but lines of

Pearls arrayed from their shells

يا عُنُقَ الإِبريقِ مِن فِضَّةٍ

في الحُسنِ حُزتَ المَذهَبَ المُذهَبا

O jug’s neck of silver

You have attained in beauty the most beautiful hue

أَحسِن بِهِ في شُربِهِ ساقِياً

يُديرُ اِسفِنطاً صَفَت مَشرَبا

Give him to drink from you nicely, O cupbearer,

Passing along a goblet polished smooth

حَمراءُ ما أَكرَمَ كَرماً لَها

كانَ عَلى أَزمانِ نوحٍ أَبا

How generous the red wine was to him

It was old in Noah's time