وَلَيلٍ طَرَقتُ المالِكِيَّةَ تَحتَهُ

وَلَيلٍ طَرَقتُ المالِكِيَّةَ تَحتَهُ

أَجَدَّ عَلى حُكمِ الشَبابِ مَزارا

أَجَدَّ عَلى حُكمِ الشَبابِ مَزارا

And a night beneath whose cover I visited al-Mālikiyya

And a night I knocked on al-Malikiyah under it

Renewed a tryst at youth's command.

I helped the judgment of youth find lodging

فَخالَطتُ أَطرافَ الأَسِنَّةِ أَنجُماً

فَخالَطتُ أَطرافَ الأَسِنَّةِ أَنجُماً

وَدُستُ لِهالاتِ البُدورِ دِيارا

وَدُستُ لِهالاتِ البُدورِ دِيارا

So I mingled with spear-points that were stars,

So I mixed the edges of the constellations with stars

And trod the abodes of full moons' halos.

And I entered the districts of shining full moons

فَلَم يَكُ إِلّا رَشفَةٌ وَاِعتِناقَةٌ

فَلَم يَكُ إِلّا رَشفَةٌ وَاِعتِناقَةٌ

وَيُعجِبُني أَنّي أَعُفُّ إِزارا

وَيُعجِبُني أَنّي أَعُفُّ إِزارا

There was nothing but a sip and an embrace,

And it was nothing but a sip and an embrace

And it pleases me that I keep my loincloth chaste.

And it pleases me that I loosen my lower garment