نسيمُها كالمِسك في نَشرهِ

نسيمُها كالمِسك في نَشرهِ

وجسمُها روحٌ بلا شَخصِ

وجسمُها روحٌ بلا شَخصِ

Its breeze is like musk in fragrance,

Her breeze is like musk in its diffusion

And its body is a spirit without bodily form.

And her body is a soul without person

لو جمدت في دَنِّها لحظة

لو جمدت في دَنِّها لحظة

خرطتُ من جامدها فَصي

خرطتُ من جامدها فَصي

If it froze in its wine jar for a moment,

If she were to freeze for a moment in her humility

I would carve my ring-stone from its frozen substance.

I would carve from her solidity a gem

وأهيفَ كالبدر في تِمّهِ

وأهيفَ كالبدر في تِمّهِ

على عذاب الناس قد وُصي

على عذاب الناس قد وُصي

And a slender-waisted one, like the moon at its full,

And she sways like the full moon in its entirety

Has been charged with tormenting people.

Upon the torment of people she was entrusted

قامتُه كالغُصن مهتزّةٌ

قامتُه كالغُصن مهتزّةٌ

في كَفَل يرتجُّ كالدِّعصِ

في كَفَل يرتجُّ كالدِّعصِ

His figure is like a swaying branch,

Her stature is like a wavering branch

Set in a rump that quivers like a mound of sand.

In a palm tree that sways like a rod

يقتصُّ مِمّن كان ذا عفّةٍ

يقتصُّ مِمّن كان ذا عفّةٍ

يقولُ قد أذنبتُ فاقتصِّ

يقولُ قد أذنبتُ فاقتصِّ

He exacts retribution from whoever was chaste;

She takes revenge on whoever was chaste

He says, "I have sinned—so exact retribution!"

Saying I have sinned so take revenge

تورُّعاً مِن أن يُرى ظالماً

تورُّعاً مِن أن يُرى ظالماً

تورّعَ الكافي أبي النَّقصِ

تورّعَ الكافي أبي النَّقصِ

Out of scruple, lest he be seen as unjust,

Abstaining lest she be seen as unjust

With the scruples of al-Kafi, Abu al-Naqs.

As Al-Kafi abstained, my father Al-Naqis