بعثتَ بخُشْكَانٍ كالأماني

بعثتَ بخُشْكَانٍ كالأماني

وكَعْكٍ كالخَواتِمِ في البَنانِ

وكَعْكٍ كالخَواتِمِ في البَنانِ

You sent khushkan pastries, like wishes,

You sent bouquets like wishes

And biscuits like rings upon the fingers,

And fruits like gems in the groves

وأَقراصٍ مطاوِلَةٍ عِذَابٍ

وأَقراصٍ مطاوِلَةٍ عِذَابٍ

كلَثْمِ الخدِّ أو مَصَّ اللِّسانِ

كلَثْمِ الخدِّ أو مَصَّ اللِّسانِ

And sweet, elongated cakes,

And elongated tormenting sweets

Like kissing the cheek or sucking the tongue,

Like the kiss of a cheek or the sip of a tongue

ألذَّ مِن الخَلاعةِ في التّصابي

ألذَّ مِن الخَلاعةِ في التّصابي

وأطيَبَ من مُفاكَهةِ الِقيَانِ

وأطيَبَ من مُفاكَهةِ الِقيَانِ

More delicious than wantonness in youthful dalliance,

More pleasurable than dalliance in trysts

And sweeter than banter with singing slave girls,

And more fragrant than the savoring of companions

وألطَفَ في حَناجِرِ آكِليها

وألطَفَ في حَناجِرِ آكِليها

مَساغاً مِنْ مُجاوَبَة الأغاني

مَساغاً مِنْ مُجاوَبَة الأغاني

And smoother in the throats of those who eat them,

And more gentle in the throats of those who eat them

As they go down, than songs sung in response.

Than the melodiousness of song