كَأَنَّما طَرَقَت لَيلى مُعَهَّدةً

مِنَ الرِياضِ وَلاها عارِضٌ تَرِعُ

As if Layla had come from the meadows at night,

Allured by a fine specter not giving or taking.

طافَت بِها ذاتُ أَلوانٍ مُشَبَّهة

ذَريعَة الجِنِّ لا تُعطي وَلا تَدَعُ

About her hovered a shape of changing hues,

A genie's pretext, neither granting nor forbidding.

وَالخائِعُ الجَونُ آتٍ عَن شَمائِلِهِم

وَنائِعُ النَعفِ عَن أَيمانِهِم يَفَعُ

The humble, slender one brings her attributes,

The delicate branches tell of her right hand.

فَما أَرَدنا بِها من خُلَّةٍ بَدَلاً

وَلا بِها رَقَصَ الواشينَ نَستَمِعُ

We wanted no toy from her as replacement,

Nor with her did the spies dance, and we listen.

سَلَّ الهَوى وَلباناتُ الفُؤادِ بِها

وَالقَلبُ شاكي الهَوى مِن حُبِّها شَكِعُ

Passion begged us, as did the heart's sensations,

The heart complained of passion's love to her.

كَأَنَّهُم يَومَ ذي الغرّاءِ حينَ غَدَت

نُكباً جِمالُهُمُ لِلبَينِ فَاِندَفَعوا

As though on the day the war-steeds were outfitted,

Their beauty stumbled for the far destroyers.

لَم يُصبِحِ القَومُ جيراناً فَكُلُّ نَوى

بِالناسِ لا صَدعَ فيها سَوفَ تَنصدِعُ

The tribe did not farewell us as neighbors; each vowed

With the people no crevice in it will crack.