بعيسى صرت قسيسا

وعفت الضمَّر العيسا

Because of Isa, I became a priest,

and spurned the lean, pale camels.

عصينا اللَه في صنم

اطعنا فيه ابليسا

We disobeyed God for an idol;

in him we obeyed Iblis.

به من باع ناموساً

شرى بالربح ناموسا

For him, whoever sold his honor

bought an angel at a profit.

اذا ما اختال بالدل

تقول اختال طاووسا

Whenever he struts with coy charm,

you say he struts like a peacock.

وان ارسل جعديه

ركبنا الليل تغليسا

And if he lets loose his two curls,

we ride the night in predawn darkness.

بتاج الشعر ترصيعٌ

كسا شعريَ تجنيسا

In the crown of hair is a jeweled inlay

that clothed my verse in wordplay.

مليكٌ ملك القلب

فصار الرأس مرؤوسا

A sovereign who possessed the heart,

so the head became subordinate.

له صرح سليمان الذ

ي اوهم بلقيسا

His is Solomon's palace, which

deceived Bilqis.

الا يا من رأى اليوم

غزالا صرَّع الشوسا

Ah, you who saw today

a gazelle that felled the fierce warriors!

رشاً قد عقَّد الوصل

لمن حلَّ له الكيسا

A fawn who tied the knot of union

for whoever untied his purse for him.

فيا ديباجة الخد

تلوناك قراطيسا

O brocade of the cheek,

we read you as sheets of paper.

قرأنا سحر هاروتٍ

على عينيك تدريسا

We read Harut's magic

upon your eyes, as a lesson.

حفظنا لك قانونا

وسميناه قاموسا

We memorized a canon for you

and named it a lexicon.

اراني بنسيم ال

بان من رياك مأنوسا

I find myself, in the breeze of the

ban-tree, comforted by your fragrance.

ويا صلد صفا الصدِّ

لزدت السد تكليسا

And O hard rock of rejection,

you have indeed added lime-plaster to the barrier.

ظلالا نزع الضال

ظُبيٌّ لبس الخيسا

The wild lote-tree cast off its shade;

a little gazelle put on the thicket.

يعود الفاتن المفتون

واللامس ملموسا

The beguiler becomes the beguiled,

and the toucher, the touched.

اجلنا لك خيل ال

دمع في النحر كراديسا

For you we sent coursing the horses of

tears, in squadrons upon the breast.

وصيَّرنا لظى الصدر

لها في الخد قربوسا

And we made the breast's blaze

a saddle-bow for them upon the cheek.

تركنا لك ماكولا

ومشروبا وملبوسا

For you we gave up food,

and drink, and clothing.

لاقطعناك تفليس

وما تفليس بل طوسا

We would grant you Tiflis as a fief—

and not Tiflis, but Tus.

ولو تصلحُ باريس

لقلدناك باريسا

And if Paris were suitable,

we would place Paris in your charge.

فيا عاقد ذا الزنار

لو ترخيه تنفيسا

So, you who fasten this girdle,

if only you would loosen it for relief!

فقم رقص لنا القرط

على الوفرة تنكيسا

Rise, and make the earring dance for us

upon your ear-length locks, dipping downward.

وضاحنا على الهزل

ودع في الجد تعبيسا

And jest with us in play,

and leave off frowning in earnest.

لأنت الراح بل والروح

بل والروح بل عيسى

You are surely wine—nay, also repose;

nay, also the spirit—nay, Isa.

ونورٌ ظنَّه موسى

سنانارك مقبوسا

And a light that Moses took

for a flame borrowed from your fire's glow.

طردنا بك سرح الهم

لا القوم المداعيسا

With you we drove off the herd of cares,

not the spear-thrusting warriors.

فمن لي بالفتى الضرب

يميط الضر والبوسا

So who will bring me the slender youth

who removes affliction and misery?

ومن اعوزه المندل

رطبا قبل السوسا

And whoever lacks aloeswood

in its fresh state, accepts licorice.