1. صَاحِ مَاذَا التَّوَانِي

    عَنْ مُرَادِ الأَمَانِي

    Friend, why hold back

    from the object of longing

  2. فِي أَصِيلٍ مُعَصْفَرِ الأَرْدَانِ

    فَالْعَشَايَا مَسَارِحُ الأَشْوَاقِ

    in a late afternoon with safflower-dyed sleeves?

    For evenings are the roaming grounds of longing,

  3. وَحُلاَهَا مَطَارِحُ الأَحْدَاقِ

    كَمْ بِهَا مِنْ مَصَارِعِ الْعُشَّاقِ

    and their charms are where eyes alight.

    How many lovers have met their doom there!

  4. شَوَّقَتْ كُلَّ عَانِ

    لِمَغَانِي التَّهَانِي

    They have stirred every captive's longing

    for the abodes of joy

  5. وَحَبِيبٍ قَدْ جَلَّ عَنْ نُقْصَانِ

    لَيْسَ يَنْبِي عَنْ حَالِهِ تَشْبِيهُ

    and a beloved truly exalted above imperfection.

    No comparison conveys his state;

  6. إنَّمَا يَرْتَقِي لَهُ التَّنْزِيهُ

    عَنْ سِمَاتٍ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ التَّمْوِيهُ

    only affirming his transcendence can reach him,

    above traits—for comparison is by nature deceptive—

  7. مِنْ بَعِيدٍ وَدَانِ

    مِنْ حِسَانِ الزَّمَانِ

    from those far and near,

    among the beauties of this age

  8. وَحِسَانٍ فِي غَابِرِ الأَزْمَانِ

    فَإِلَيْهِ انْتَهَى جَمَالُ الصُّورَهْ

    and beauties of ages long past.

    In him, then, the beauty of form reached its height;

  9. وَعَلَيْهِ زَهْرُ الْحُلَى مَقْصُورَهْ

    وَبِأَسْرَارِ ذَاتِهِ مَحْصُورَهْ

    and the blossoms of adornment are his alone,

    and are enclosed in the mysteries of his essence.

  10. جَلَّ عَنْ مَا نُعَانِي

    مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْمَعَانِي

    He transcends all we labor to express:

    wondrous meanings

  11. بِغَرِيبِ الأَلْفَاظِ وَالأَوْزَانِ

    in rare words and meters.