عانقْت لامَ صُدْغها صادُ لثمي

عانقْت لامَ صُدْغها صادُ لثمي

فأرتها المرآةُ في الخد لِصّا

فأرتها المرآةُ في الخد لِصّا

The ṣād of my kiss embraced the lām of her temple-lock.

The ṣād of my kiss embraced the lām of her temple-curl,

And the mirror showed it to her, clinging to her cheek.

and the mirror showed her a “thief” (liṣṣ) upon her cheek.

فاسترابت بما رأت ثم قالت

فاسترابت بما رأت ثم قالت

أكتابا أرى ولم اَرَ شخصا

أكتابا أرى ولم اَرَ شخصا

She grew suspicious of what she saw, then said:

She grew suspicious of what she saw, then said,

“Is it writing I see, though I see no one?”

“Is it writing I see, though I have seen no person?”

ودَعَتْني لمحوِه فتمكَّن

ودَعَتْني لمحوِه فتمكَّن

ت من الوجنتين لَمْساً وقرصا

ت من الوجنتين لَمْساً وقرصا

She called me to wipe it away, and thus I gained full access—

She called on me to erase it, so I gained

—to both cheeks, touching and pinching.

access to both cheeks, touching and pinching.

ثم قالت ألا امْحُهُ محو من يج

ثم قالت ألا امْحُهُ محو من يج

هد في محوِه ومن يتقصّى

هد في محوِه ومن يتقصّى

Then she said, “Come, erase it as one who strives—

Then she said, “Come, erase it as one who does

—hard at erasing it, one who is painstakingly thorough.”

his utmost to erase it, and is thorough.”

قلت بالقشط يمَّحِي قالت اقشط

قلت بالقشط يمَّحِي قالت اقشط

بالثنايا وأتْبع القشط مَصّا

بالثنايا وأتْبع القشط مَصّا

I said, “Scraping will rub it away.” She said, “Then scrape—

I said, “Scraping erases it.” She said, “Scrape

—with your incisors, and follow the scraping with a suck.”

with your incisors, and follow the scraping with sucking.”

قلت إن الذي أمرتِ به فر

قلت إن الذي أمرتِ به فر

ضٌ علينا مؤكّد ليس يُعصى

ضٌ علينا مؤكّد ليس يُعصى

I said, “Indeed, what you have ordered is an obligation—

I said, “What you have commanded is

—upon us, confirmed and not to be disobeyed.”

a binding duty upon us, not to be disobeyed.”

ورأت إثر ما محوت فقالت

ورأت إثر ما محوت فقالت

كان لصّا فصار والله فَصّا

كان لصّا فصار والله فَصّا

And when she saw the trace left by what I had erased, she said:

She saw the trace of what I had erased, and said,

“It was a thief (liṣṣ); by God, it has become a gem (faṣṣ).”

“It was a ‘thief’ (liṣṣ); by God, it became a ‘gem’ (faṣṣ).”

قلت إن الفصوص تطبع باللّث

قلت إن الفصوص تطبع باللّث

م على خدِّ كلُِّ من كان رَخْصا

م على خدِّ كلُِّ من كان رَخْصا

I said, “Indeed, gems are stamped by kissing—

I said, “Gems are imprinted by

—upon the cheek of every tender one.”

kisses upon the cheek of everyone whose skin is tender.”