ظَبيٌ يَروقُ الناظِرينَ بِأَبيَضٍ

وَبِأَسوَدٍ وَبِأَخضَرٍ وَبِأَشكَلِ

A gazelle alluring to beholders

With whiteness, blackness, greenness, and in form,

وَمُقَوَّمٌ مِثلُ القَضيبِ مُهَفهَفٍ

وَمُعَوَّجٍ كَالصَولَجانِ مُمَيَّلِ

Straight as a rod yet bending as the crooked tree,

Spreading his cheeks, hair cascading in ringlets,

وَمُفرِجٍ مِن خَدِّهِ وَمُكفِرٍ

وَمُخَلَّقٍ مِن شَعرِهِ وَمُسَلسَلِ

Face white in the dawn wrapped as in a turban,

Dark hair crowned as if by night’s darkness,

وَبَياضِ وَجهٍ بِالصَباحِ مُقَنَّعٍ

وَسَوادِ فَرعٍ بِالظَلامِ مُكَلَّلِ

Wine jugs hung on his wrist like the full moon

Suspended amidst a bare and starless sky,

عَلَقَت أَباريقُ المُدامِ بِكَفِّهِ

كَالبَدرِ يَعلُقُ بِالسِماكِ الأَعزَلِ

Incense smoke rose white and radiant

Like a cloud but not one that lightly passes,

وَعَلا دُخانُ النَدِّ أَبيَضَ ساطِعاً

مِثلَ الغَمامَةِ غَيرَ أَن لَم يُمهَلِ

It was as if wine cups circled round his neck

Brown steeds wandering under the tavern sign.

فَكَأَنَّما الكاساتُ في حافاتِهِ

شُقرَ الخُيولِ تَجولُ تَحتَ القَسطَلِ