حَصَلَت في حُسنِ ذا غِلظَةٌ

حَصَلَت في حُسنِ ذا غِلظَةٌ

كَأَنَّها مُشطُ اِبنِ مَنصورِ

كَأَنَّها مُشطُ اِبنِ مَنصورِ

A roughness has appeared in this man's beauty,

She has roughness in her beauty

as though it were Ibn Mansur's comb.

As if she is the comb of Ibn Mansour

يا لِحيَةً هَتَّكَ أَستارَها

يا لِحيَةً هَتَّكَ أَستارَها

بِأُصبَعٍ مِنهُ وَأُظفورِ

بِأُصبَعٍ مِنهُ وَأُظفورِ

O beard whose veils he has torn

What a beard that undid its veils

with a finger of his and a fingernail!

With a finger of his and a nail

فَخَدُّهُ مِن سَلَحٍ تارَةً

فَخَدُّهُ مِن سَلَحٍ تارَةً

وَتارَةً مِن قِشرِ بِلَّورِ

وَتارَةً مِن قِشرِ بِلَّورِ

So his cheek is at times made of dung,

His cheek sometimes of weapons

and at times of a crust of crystal.

And sometimes of crystal shards

فَتارَةً كَالمِسكِ في لَونِهِ

فَتارَةً كَالمِسكِ في لَونِهِ

وَتارَةً في لَونِ كافورِ

وَتارَةً في لَونِ كافورِ

So at times it is like musk in color,

Sometimes its color like musk

and at times the color of camphor.

And sometimes the color of camphor

يُعجِبُهُ المَردُ فَيَحكيهُمُ

يُعجِبُهُ المَردُ فَيَحكيهُمُ

حِكايَةَ زُوَرٍ مِنَ الزُوَرِ

حِكايَةَ زُوَرٍ مِنَ الزُوَرِ

Beardless youths delight him, so he mimics them—

The demons like him and relate to him

a sham imitation, one sham among shams.

Tales of falsity from falsities

يَقولُ ما أَحسَنَ رَبَّ الوَرى

يَقولُ ما أَحسَنَ رَبَّ الوَرى

إِذ غَرَسَ الظُلمَةَ في النورِ

إِذ غَرَسَ الظُلمَةَ في النورِ

He says, “How good was the Lord of creation

He says "How beautifully the Lord of mankind

when He planted darkness in the light!”

Planted darkness into light"