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Soften her with water lest her dryness resists you,

ألا دارها بالماء حتى تلينها

1. Soften her with water lest her dryness resists you,
And honor not the blonde till you humiliate her.

١. أَلا دارِها بِالماءِ حَتّى تُلينَها
فَلَن تُكرِمَ الصَهباءَ حَتّى تَهينَها

2. I insist on her till I possess and master her,
Then I humble myself to please my intimate friend.

٢. أُغالي بِها حَتّى إِذا ما مَلَكتُها
أَهَنتُ لِإِكرامِ الخَليلِ مَصونَها

3. Yellow before blending, white after it,
As if the sun's rays meet you because of her.

٣. وَصَفراءَ قَبلَ المَزجِ بَيضاءَ بَعدَهُ
كَأَنَّ شُعاعَ الشَمسِ يَلقاكَ دونَها

4. The eye begs you to spare it from her radiance,
And blinks repeatedly till the eyelids can scarcely open.

٤. تَرى العَينَ تَستَعفيكَ مِن لَمَعانِها
وَتَحسِرُ حَتّى ما تُقِلَّ جُفونَها

5. She captivates a man's soul from what harms him,
And makes him her constant companion.

٥. تَروغُ بِنَفسِ المَرءِ عَمّا يَسوءُهُ
وَتَجدُلُهُ أَلّا يَزالَ قَرينَها

6. As if rubies surround her watchfully,
And sapphires revolve their eyes around her.

٦. كَأَنَّ يَواقيتاً عَواكِفَ حَولَها
وَزُرقَ سَنانيرٍ تُديرُ عُيونَها

7. And a brunette whom fate has stripped of her veil,
I drew near and probed her embryo.

٧. وَشَمطاءَ حَلَّ الدَهرُ عَنها بِنَجوَةٍ
دَلَفتُ إِلَيها فَاستَلَلتُ جَنينَها

8. As if we are secluded in the bosom of a garden,
When we steal her at night along with her clay.

٨. كَأَنّا حُلولٌ بَينَ أَكنافِ رَوضَةٍ
إِذا ما سَلَبناها مَعَ اللَيلِ طينَها