لَمّا حَجَبَت جَمالَها عَن نَظَري

أَضحى بَصَرِي مُراقِباً للقَمَرِ

When her beauty was veiled from my sight,

My eyes became fixed upon the moon.

هَب أَنَّهُّما بِناظِريَّ اشتَبَها

نُوراً فَهُما شِبهٌ لَها في الخَفَرِ

As if in my eyes they were both alike -

Radiant lights, each a likeness of the other.

ما كانَ لَنا نُحِبُّها مِن غَرَضٍ

لَكن قَدَرٌ أَتاحَهُ عَن نَظَري

We loved her not for any purpose,

But fate allowed it beyond my sight.

سَمراءُ لَها بِمُهجَتي مُعتَلَقٌ

فَالعَينُ لَها مُديمَةٌ بِالسَّمَرِ

A browned complexion has my heart in its grip,

So my eyes are ever upon the browned.

مَهما نَسمت فَمِسكَةٌ في أَرَجٍ

أَو ما بَسمَت فَرِقَّةٌ في دُرَرِ

Be she gently blowing musk-scented breezes,

Or smiling with a radiance like pearls,

شَمسٌ سَفَرت كَم أَخجَلَت مِن قَمَر

رَودٌ نَظَرت بِسِحرِها في الحَوَرِ

A sun traveled, shaming the bashful moon,

A gazelle glanced with her magic at the maidens.

غابَت زَمَناً فَخاطِري في قَلَقٍ

مِنها وَجَوانِحي غَدَت في سَعَرِ

She was absent a while, and my thoughts were disturbed,

My feelings aflame in yearning for her.

راحَت وَلَها تَشَوُّقٌ أَزعَجَها

للحَجِّ فَما تَقاعَدَت في السَفَرِ

She left, and longing disquieted her,

For the pilgrimage, not tarrying in travel.

حَجَّت وَقَضَت زِيارَةً وافَقَها

سَعدٌ وَأَتَت سَليمَةً مِن ضَرَرِ

She made the pilgrimage, completed a visitation,

Fortune met her, she came safe from harm.

فَالدارُ بِها مُضِيئَةٌ مُذ وَرَدَت

وَالرُوحُ لَها مُطيعَةٌ في العُمُرِ

The house, since she returned, is luminous,

My spirit obedient, for her sake, to life.