ياحُسنَهُ وَالحُسنُ بَعضُ صِفاتِهِ

وَالسِحرُ مَقصورٌ عَلى حَرَكاتِهِ

Oh beauty, and beauty is some of His attributes

And magic is confined to its movements

عَبَثتُ بِقَتلِ مُحِبِّهِ لَحَظاتُهُ

يا رَبِّ لا تَعتَب عَلى لَحَظاتِهِ

His glances toyed with killing his lovers

Oh Lord, do not blame him for his glances

بِتنا نُشَعشِعُ وَالعَفافُ نَديمُنا

خَمرَينِ مِن غَزَلي وَمِن كَلِماتِهِ

With wine we shine, and chastity is our companion

Two wines, from my twisting and from his words

صافَحتُهُ وَاللَيلُ يُذكي تَحتَنا

نارَينِ مِن نَفسي وَمِن وَجَناتِهِ

I shook his hand, and the night kindled beneath us

Two fires, from my soul and from his cheeks

وَضَمَمتُهُ ضَمَّ البَخيلِ لِمالِهِ

يَحنو عَلَيهِ مِن جَميعِ جِهاتِهِ

And I held him close, as a miser clings to his money

Yearning over it from all directions

أَوثَقتُهُ في ساعِدَيَّ لِأَنَّهُ

ظَبيٌ خَشيتُ عَلَيهِ مِن نَفَراتِهِ

I bound him to my arm, for he

Is a gazelle I feared would flee

وَالقَلبُ يَرغَبُ أَن يَصيرَ ساعِداً

لِيَفوزَ بِالآمالِ مِن ضَمّاتِهِ

And the heart desires to become an arm

To win hopes from his embrace

حَتّى إِذا هامَ الكَرى بِجُفونِهِ

وَاِمتَدَّ في عَضُدَيَّ طَوعَ سِناتِهِ

Until, as oblivion weighed on his lids

And yielded, languid, in my arms

عَزَمَ الغَرامُ عَلَيَّ في تَقبيلِهِ

فَجَعَلتُ أُبدي الطَوعَ عَن عَزَماتِهِ

Passion resolved to kiss him

And I obeyed its resolve

وَأَبى عَفافي أَن أُقَبِّلَ ثَغرَهُ

وَالقَلبُ مَطوِيٌّ عَلى جَمَراتِهِ

But my chastity refused to kiss his lips

While the heart smoldered with its embers

فَاِعجَب لِمُلتَهِبِ الجَوانِحِ غِلَّةً

يَشكو الظَما وَالماءُ في لَهَواتِهِ

So for the inflamed lover it is agony

To complain of thirst when water is within reach