خلوت بغادة سلبت رقادي

خلوت بغادة سلبت رقادي

وقلت لها وقد همت بهجري

وقلت لها وقد همت بهجري

I was alone with a Baghdadi belle who stole my sleep.

I was alone with a lovely maiden who had stolen my sleep,

I said to her, as she resolved to leave me:

And I said to her, as she resolved to forsake me:

أرى غادات مصر يقمن عندي

أرى غادات مصر يقمن عندي

ولا يهجرنني أيام يسري

ولا يهجرنني أيام يسري

“I see the belles of Egypt stay with me

"I see Egypt's maidens staying with me,

and never desert me in my days of plenty;

And they do not forsake me in my days of prosperity.

وإن أفلست لا يدخلن بيتي

وإن أفلست لا يدخلن بيتي

أهذا الذوق ذوق بنات مصر

أهذا الذوق ذوق بنات مصر

yet if I go broke, they will not enter my house.

Yet if I go bankrupt, they will not enter my house.

Is this the way—the way of Egypt’s girls?”

Is this the taste of Egypt's girls?"

فقالت كيف ذوقك أنت قل لي

فقالت كيف ذوقك أنت قل لي

وذوق بنات جلق يا معرّي

وذوق بنات جلق يا معرّي

She said, “Then tell me: what is your way,

She said, "Tell me, what of your own taste,

and that of Jilliq’s girls, O man of Maʿarra?

And the taste of Jilliq's girls, O Maʿarri?

أتنتف كل لمتها فتاةٌ

أتنتف كل لمتها فتاةٌ

لتسمع من جنابك بيت شعر

لتسمع من جنابك بيت شعر

Do you pay for her entire night, so she will come

Would a girl pluck out all her locks

to hear one verse of poetry from Your Eminence?

To hear a line of poetry from your esteemed self?

وأيم اللَه لو كنت ابن كسرى

وأيم اللَه لو كنت ابن كسرى

لما درت عليك بغير مهر

لما درت عليك بغير مهر

By God, even if you were Khosrow’s son,

And by God, even if you were Kisra's son,

she would never come to you without a dower.”

I would not come round to you without a bridal payment."

فقلت بلى وصالح بين ثغري

فقلت بلى وصالح بين ثغري

وثغر حبيبتي قيراط تبر

وثغر حبيبتي قيراط تبر

I said, “Indeed”—and between my lips

I said, "Indeed!" And peace was made between my mouth

and my beloved’s, a qirat of pure gold made peace.

And my beloved's mouth by a carat of raw gold.