ما كنت أدري قبل نبت العذار

أن يطلع الريحان في الجلنار

Before the blooming of basil,

I did not know that rosemary grows in the garden.

كلا ولا أبصرت من قبلها

في جنة خضراء ماء ونار

Nor did I see before it,

In a green garden, water and fire.

علقته ظبيا بغنج الحيا

مكحل لكن كثير النفار

I hung it like a gazelle on the branch of life,

Dark-eyed, but very shy.

قد عقد البند على خصره

كأنه المعصم وسط السوار

Its knot was tied at his waist,

As if it were a bracelet in the middle of the wrist.

وجلنار الروض من خده

ابدى ومن تلك النهود الثمار

And the garden meadow from his cheek

Showed fruit and from those breasts showed fruit.

فاتر جفن بارد ريقه

بينهما القلب من الوجد حار

A languid eyelid, his saliva cold,

Between them the heart is hot with passion.

بادي السنا قد فاق شمس الضحى

ومنه بدر التم في الافق غار

His teeth are visible, brighter than the morning sun,

And the full moon in the horizon has set because of it.

قضيب بان بانع قده

عليه مني واقع القلب طار

A sprout, with a slender waist,

Upon which my heart settled out of love for him.

حلو اللمى يفتر عن مبسم

لي قد حلا منه ارتشاف العقار

Sweet lips that reveal a smile

From which I sipped the wine.

به صغار الدر قد نظمت

والثغر احلى الدر فيه الصغار

With it small pearls were strung together,

And the mouth is sweeter than the small pearls within it.

لم انس ليلا حين وافى بها

بدرا غدا يحمل شمس النهار

I did not forget a night when he came to me,

Until the next day a full moon carrying the sun of daybreak.

تدار من خرطومه تارة

وتارة من مقلتيه تدار

He tosses from his trunk sometimes,

And sometimes from his eyelids he tosses.

من خده نقلي ومن ثغره

كأسي ومن ريقته لي خمار

From his cheek my drinking and from his mouth

My cup and from his saliva my wine.

وردي خد قد زكا نشره

عليه لما ضاع ذاك العذار

My rose-colored cheek has prospered in its blossoming,

When that basil withered away from it.

اقسمت بالوضاح من عبرتي

ريحانة ليس عليه غبار

I swear by the clarity of my tears,

(He is) a basil plant with no dust on it.

عن نافع حدثنا وصله

وهجره حدثنا عن ضرار

Nafi’ told us about his union,

And separation, Jarir told us about Dharar.

بالسقم قد اوقعني طرفه

وجفنه اورث قلبي الكسار

His glance has afflicted me with illness,

And his eyelids have bequeathed my heart with brokenness.

يا لحظه رفقا ويا خده

عليكما في الحب ما لي اصطبار

O gentle moment, O his cheek,

On you both, I have no patience in love.

يا قينة العشق اذا ما رنا

ومال تيها فالفرار الفرار

O nest of passion, if he moans

And tosses confused, then flee, flee!