1. وَبِمُهجَتي مَن زارَني

    مِن غَيرِ وَعدٍ وَاِشتِراطِ

    And may my life's blood be ransom for the one who visited me,

    without an appointment or stipulation.

  2. جَذلانَ ناعِمُ جسمِهِ

    يَحكي لِرِقَّتِهِ الغَباطي

    Joyous, with a tender body,

    resembling fine cloth in its delicacy.

  3. حَيّا وَأَحسَنَ بِالتَحِي

    يَةِ بِاِمتِزاجٍ وَاِنبِساطِ

    He greeted me, and did so graciously,

    with intimacy and ease.

  4. وَدَنا يُعاطينا سُلا

    فَةَ ريقِهِ أَحلى تَعاطي

    And he drew near, offering us the pure wine

    of his saliva—the sweetest exchange.

  5. حَيثُ العِناقُ فَضاؤُهُ

    ما بَينَنا سُمُّ الخِياطِ

    Where the embrace's expanse—

    the space between us—was a needle's eye.

  6. في لَيلَةٍ قَضَّيتُها

    ما بَينَ لهوٍ وَاِغتِباطِ

    In a night I spent

    between revelry and delight:

  7. عُرسِيَّةً ضَرَبَت طُبو

    لَ رُعودِها أَيدي شَباطِ

    a bridal night: beaten were the drums

    of its thunder by February's hands.

  8. وَالبَرقُ يَرقُصُ فَرحَةً

    وَالقَطرُ يَأخُذُ في النِقاطِ

    And lightning dances for joy,

    and rain begins scattering gift-coins.

  9. تَغدو الرِياحُ عليه ما

    بين إرتفاع وانحطاط

    The winds sweep over it,

    between rising and falling.

  10. يا بحر حسن نبت عا

    رِضِهِ المَديدِ عَلَيهِ شاطي

    O sea of beauty, the down

    of his long cheek is a shore upon it.

  11. كَم قَد عُذِلتُ عَلى هَوا

    كَ فَلَم يُفِد سَمعي البَلاطي

    How often I was reproached for loving

    you, but wrangling did my ears no good.

  12. يا كَوكَبَ الحُسنِ الَّذي

    قَلبي لَهُ حَدَّ الرِباطِ

    O star of beauty, for whom

    my heart is a frontier post.

  13. ما كانَ أَطيبَها مُخا

    لَطَة وَنَحنُ عَلى خلاطِ

    How sweet that mingling was,

    while we were at Khilāṭ!

  14. يا دَهرُ ساعِدني عَلى

    ذاكَ الهَوى كَرَماً وَواطي

    O Time, help me with

    that love, generously, and be agreeable.

  15. وَاِحكُم جَزاءَ جَميلِ صُن

    عِكَ في حَياتي بِاِشتِطاطِ

    And rule, in return for your gracious deed,

    over my life with harsh excess.

  16. ميعادُ قَلبي في سُلو

    وك وَالجَوابُ عَلى الصِراطِ

    My heart's appointed hour for forgetting

    you—and the answer is on the Ṣirāṭ.