بعثت بوردٍ لم يغادر بياضه

بعثت بوردٍ لم يغادر بياضه

بياض ثنايا قد أطلت بها الرشفا

بياض ثنايا قد أطلت بها الرشفا

I sent roses whose whiteness did not differ from

I sent a message board whose whiteness had not departed,

the whiteness of front teeth over which I had lingered in sipping kisses.

The whiteness of cheeks which I had prolonged with modesty.

ترشّفتُها من أحورٍ مخطّفِ الحشا

ترشّفتُها من أحورٍ مخطّفِ الحشا

يلوح لنا بدراً ويرن لنا خِشفا

يلوح لنا بدراً ويرن لنا خِشفا

I sipped kisses from them—from a dark-eyed one, slender of waist,

I sent it from a love-struck one whose love was engraved,

who shines before us as a full moon and gazes at us as a gazelle fawn.

Who makes the full moon shine for us and clinks for us a glass.

فما زلت أُصفيه وأَمحضه الهوى

فما زلت أُصفيه وأَمحضه الهوى

ويمحضني فيه الترائب والرشفا

ويمحضني فيه الترائب والرشفا

So I kept offering him sincere and unalloyed love,

I kept purifying it and making the passion sincere,

and in that love he gave me his breast and kisses without reserve,

And it kept purifying me with yearning and modesty,

إلى أن بدا الإشراق في فحمة الدجى

إلى أن بدا الإشراق في فحمة الدجى

ولاح عمود الصبح مخترِطا سيفا

ولاح عمود الصبح مخترِطا سيفا

until radiance appeared in the coal-black darkness of night,

Until the dawn started to shine in the darkness of night,

and the pillar of dawn gleamed, unsheathing a sword.

And the pillar of morning appeared unsheathing a sword.