1. أما ترى ورد الخدود التْهَب

    كأنَه الفضةُ تحت الذّهَبْ

    Do you not see the roses of the cheeks aflame?

    As though they were silver beneath gold.

  2. وفي الثنايَا شنبٌ تحتَه

    شُهْدٌ أبْحنَا شُهُدٌ من شنب

    And in the front teeth is cool sweetness, beneath which

    Is honey—grant us honey from that sweetness.

  3. وثمَّ رَخْصُ الكفِ مخضوبَها

    ومِنْ دمي لا مِنْ دموعي خضب

    And there is the soft-handed one, whose hand is stained,

    Dyed with my blood, not with my tears.

  4. أحْومَ أحوى أن مشى وانثنى

    تجاذبت أعطافه فانجذب

    Dark, dusky—when he walked and swayed,

    His sides tugged against one another, drawing him along.

  5. ما نمتُ لكني تناومتُ كي

    يزورني الطيفُ الذي يرتقب

    I did not sleep; I only feigned sleep so that

    The awaited dream-phantom might visit me.

  6. عاتبني لِمْ نمت من بعدِه

    وَلَوْ دَرى عن علتي مَا عَتَب

    He reproached me: why had I slept after his departure?

    Had he known of my ailment, he would not have reproached me.

  7. جنَى علينا وتجنّى ولَمْ

    يخش من الله وهذا عجَب

    He wronged us and accused us unjustly, and did not

    Fear God—and this is astonishing.

  8. يا جَارحي والدم في خده

    أنت مَعَافى وعليّ التعب

    O my wounder—with blood in his cheek—

    You are unharmed, while I bear the suffering.

  9. وأنت لي يا ريح نجد وبي

    قلب أذاهب صَباً تلك هب

    And you are mine, O wind of Najd; within me

    Is a heart—[the remaining wording is unclear in the supplied text].

  10. بالله إن عجتَ على المنحنى

    والقُّبّةُ الخضراء بين القُببْ

    By God, if you turn aside at the bend,

    And the green dome among the domes,

  11. فإنْ دَنَى منك فسايله ليْ

    بالله ما الأَمْرُ وكيف السَّبَبْ

    Then, if he draws near you, question him for me:

    By God, what is the matter, and what is the cause?

  12. عِنْدِي لَهُ العُتُبَى كما يبتغي

    وعند نورِ الدين كل الطلب

    I offer him amends, just as he wishes,

    And with Nur al-Din lies all that is sought.

  13. وما يكافُى عُمَراً مدحُنا

    مَنء ذا يكافي الغيث مهما سكب

    And our praise cannot repay Umar;

    Who could repay the rain, however much it pours?

  14. اكرمُ من حَاتمٍ مهما وهب

    أشجعُ من عنْتر مهَمْا وثب

    More generous than Hatim whenever he gives,

    Braver than Antar whenever he leaps.

  15. مِطعامةٌ في الحِدب لكنّه

    يومَ الوغى مِطعَانةق في السُرب

    A lavish feeder in the hills, but he

    On the day of battle is a mighty spear-thruster amid the throng.

  16. كأنما الجود شقيق له

    فهو أخو الجودِ لأمٍ وأب

    As though generosity were his full brother:

    He is generosity’s brother, of the same mother and father.