1. انثَنى يُثني عَلى نُعمى النُعامى

    حينَ حَيَّتهُ بِأَنفاسِ الخُزامى

    He turned, praising the south wind's bounty,

    when it greeted him with breaths of lavender.

  2. وَتَنادى يا صَبا نَجدٍ مَتى

    زُرتَ سَلمى أَقرِها عَنّي السَلاما

    And he cried: O east wind of Najd, whenever

    you visit Salma, convey my greetings to her.

  3. لَيتَ أَيّامَ الحِمى دامَت لَنا

    أَيُّ عَيشٍ سَرَّ ذا وَجدٍ فَداما

    Would that the days in the sanctuary had lasted for us!

    What life ever gladdened a lover and endured?

  4. بِينَما أَيّامُنا مُشرِقَةٌ

    بِالرِضى بُدِّلنَ بِالسُخطِ ظَلاما

    While our days were radiant

    with favor, they were turned by disfavor into darkness.

  5. أَرضَعَتنا دَرَّ أَخلافِ المُنى

    في أَمانٍ ثُمَّ عَجَّلنَ الفِطاما

    They nursed us on the flowing milk of hope's udders

    in safety, then hastened our weaning.

  6. فَكَأَنَّ الهَجرَ قَد أَضحى حَلالاً

    وَكَأَنَّ الوَصلَ قَد أَمسى حَراما

    So it was as though separation had become lawful,

    and as though union had become forbidden.

  7. وَغَزالٍ بِالحِمى غازَلَني

    سُقمُ جَفنَيهِ بَرى جِسمي سَقاما

    And a gazelle in the sanctuary wooed me;

    the languor of his eyelids wasted my body with sickness.

  8. باتَ يَسقيني مُداماً أَشبَهَت

    نارَ إِبراهيمَ بَرداً وَسَلاما

    All night he gave me wine that resembled

    Abraham's fire in coolness and safety.

  9. يا لَها مِن لَيلَةٍ بِتُّ بِعَي

    نَيهِ أُسقى وَبِكَفَّيهِ المُداما

    What a night I spent drinking from his

    eyes, and wine from his two hands!

  10. نُقلِيَ التُفّاحُ مِن وَجنَتِهِ

    وَمِزاجي الريقُ بِالمِسكِ خِتاما

    My relish was the apple of his cheek,

    and my wine's admixture was his saliva, with musk at the finish.

  11. يُخجِلُ الأَغصانَ وَالأَقمارَ وَال

    بَدرَ حُسناً وَقواماً وَاِبتِساما

    He shames the branches, the moons, and the

    full moon in beauty, stature, and smiles.

  12. حَبَّذا جَلَّقُ إِذ كانَ بِها ال

    مَلِكُ الأَشرَفُ مِن قَبلُ أَقاما

    How lovely was Jallaq when the

    King al-Ashraf dwelt there in former days!

  13. كانَتِ الجَنَّةَ لَمّا حَسُنَت

    بِسَناهُ مُستَقَراً وَمَقاما

    She was paradise when made beautiful

    by his radiance, a resting place and abode.

  14. فَهيَ مُذ وَدَّعَها باكِيَةٌ

    تَشتَكي شَوقاً وَتَوقاً وَغَراما

    So, since he bade her farewell, she has been weeping,

    complaining of longing, yearning, and ardent love.

  15. لَم تَطِب وَرداً وَلا وِرداً وَلا

    نَورُها راقَ وَلا رَقَّت مُداما

    Her roses and her waters are no longer sweet, nor

    do her blossoms charm, nor is her wine fine.

  16. وَبِها نَورُ الأَقاحي لَم يَكُن

    مُبدِياً في أَوجُهِ الرَوضِ اِبتِساما

    And there the daisy blossoms no longer

    showed a smile upon the garden's faces.

  17. فارَقَت أَسخى السَلاطين يَداً

    وَنَداماهُ وَهُم خَيرُ نَدامى

    She parted from the most open-handed of sultans

    and his boon companions, the best of boon companions.

  18. سَيِّدي يا شَرَفَ الدينِ وَيا مَن

    أَخجَلَت يُمناهُ بِالجودِ الكِراما

    My lord, O Sharaf al-Din, O you whose

    right hand has shamed the generous with its bounty,

  19. ذَكِّرِ الأَشرَفَ بِالوَعدِ عَسى

    وَعدُهُ بِالجودِ أَن يَروي الأُواما

    remind al-Ashraf of the promise; may

    his promise of bounty quench the burning thirst.

  20. كَم يَدٍ بَيضاءَ لا سوءَ بِها

    مِن نَدى موسى بِها عَمَّ الأَناما

    How many a white hand, free of blemish,

    from Musa's bounty, with which he has favored all mankind!