ولمّا رأيتُ الخال في صَحْنِ خَدِّه

ذكرتُ احتراقَ القلبِ في نارِ صَدِّه

When I saw the mole on his cheek

I remembered the heart burning in the fire of his aloofness

وعَرَّفَنا خَفْتَانُه حَيْفَ رِدفِه

وبالغ في شَكْوَاه عن ضَعْفِ قَدِّه

And his slender waist showed the weakness of his back

And he exaggerated in complaining about the weakness of his stature

فحينَ أدار البَنْدَ مِن فوق خَصْرِه

رَأَيْناه في الحالَيْن لازِمَ حَدِّه

So when he turned the sash above his waist

We saw him in both cases sticking to his limit

فلم يَطُلِ المَشدودُ شيئاً بحِلَّه

ولم يَقْصُرِ المَحلولُ شيئاً بشَدِّه

So the tightened one did not exceed anything with his slackness

Nor did the loosened one fall short of anything with his tightness