رَفَلْتُ بها في حُلَّةٍ عَلَمِيَّةٍ

رَفَلْتُ بها في حُلَّةٍ عَلَمِيَّةٍ

خِلالُكَ فيها أَعجزَتَْ كُلَّ راقِمِ

خِلالُكَ فيها أَعجزَتَْ كُلَّ راقِمِ

I strode proudly in it—a robe figured with ornament,

I strutted in it—in a patterned robe.

your graces upon it outdoing every embroiderer’s art.

Your virtues in it outmatched every embroiderer.

وَتَفصيلةٌ كادَتْ تكونُ لِرِقَّةٍ

وَتَفصيلةٌ كادَتْ تكونُ لِرِقَّةٍ

وَلِينٍ أَراها من ثِيابٍ الأَراقِمِ

وَلِينٍ أَراها من ثِيابٍ الأَراقِمِ

Its tailoring, so exquisitely delicate, almost seems

And a length of cloth that almost seemed, for its fineness

to me, in its softness, made from serpents’ sloughed skins.

And softness, to my eyes, one of the speckled snakes’ garments.

وَيانِعُ أَترُجٍّ كأَنَّ نَسِيمَهُ

وَيانِعُ أَترُجٍّ كأَنَّ نَسِيمَهُ

ثَناؤكَ إذْ لا يُسْتطاعُ لِكاتِمِ

ثَناؤكَ إذْ لا يُسْتطاعُ لِكاتِمِ

And ripe citrons, whose wafted perfume seems

And ripe citrons, as though their fragrance

the praise of you—for no one can keep it concealed:

Were praise of you, since none can conceal it.

جسوُمُ لُجينٍ في غلائِلَ عَسْجِدٍ

جسوُمُ لُجينٍ في غلائِلَ عَسْجِدٍ

وأَنمُلُ حُسَّابٍ بِغيرِ مَعَاصِم

وأَنمُلُ حُسَّابٍ بِغيرِ مَعَاصِم

silver bodies within sheer shifts of gold,

Bodies of silver in thin tunics of gold,

the fingertips of reckoners, yet without wrists.

And reckoners’ fingertips without wrists.

وَقالوا لَقَد جَاءَتْ إليكَ هَنيئَةً

وَقالوا لَقَد جَاءَتْ إليكَ هَنيئَةً

فَقُلتُ كَذا تَأْتي هَدِيَّةُ حَاتِمِ

فَقُلتُ كَذا تَأْتي هَدِيَّةُ حَاتِمِ

They said, “It has come to you—may you enjoy it!”

And they said, 'It has indeed come to you as a welcome gift.'

I replied, “Thus does a gift from Hātim come.”

So I said, 'Thus comes Hatim’s gift.'