مِنْ كُلِّ بَيْضاءَ مِخْماصٍ لها بَشَرٌ

مِنْ كُلِّ بَيْضاءَ مِخْماصٍ لها بَشَرٌ

كَأنَّهُ بِذَكِيِّ المِسْكِ مَغْسُولُ

كَأنَّهُ بِذَكِيِّ المِسْكِ مَغْسُولُ

Of every fair-skinned, slender-waisted woman, whose skin

From every white cheek whose bloom

seems washed in richly fragrant musk.

Is as Musk itself were its hue,

فالخَدُّ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ والثَّغْرُ مِنْ بَرَدٍ

فالخَدُّ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ والثَّغْرُ مِنْ بَرَدٍ

مُفَلَّجٌ وَاضِحُ الأَنْيابِ مَصْقُولُ

مُفَلَّجٌ وَاضِحُ الأَنْيابِ مَصْقُولُ

So her cheek is of gold, and her mouth of hailstones,

The cheek is of gold and the lips are of ice

gap-toothed, with gleaming canines, polished bright.

Split, and gleaming with ivory bare,

كأنَّها حين يَسْتَسْقي الضَّجِيعُ بِهِ

كأنَّها حين يَسْتَسْقي الضَّجِيعُ بِهِ

بَعْدَ الكَرَى بِمُدَامِ الرَّاحِ مَشْمُولُ

بَعْدَ الكَرَى بِمُدَامِ الرَّاحِ مَشْمُولُ

As though, when her bedmate seeks a drink from it,

As though, when the thirsty wight quested them,

after sleep, it were mingled with aged wine.

After al-Kará he were kissing pure wine;

وَنَشْرُها مِثْلُ رَيَّا رَوْضَةٍ أُنُفٍ

وَنَشْرُها مِثْلُ رَيَّا رَوْضَةٍ أُنُفٍ

لها بِفَيْحانَ أَنْوَارٌ أكالِيلُ

لها بِفَيْحانَ أَنْوَارٌ أكالِيلُ

And her fragrance is like the sweet scent of an ungrazed meadow,

And their dew like the wine of the vineleaf

whose blossoms at Fayhan are garlands.

Enclosing splendours of blazonry rare.