أَقُولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي
شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذُو الوَجدِ الأَلِيمِ
I say to my companion, like what I complain of,
The man of intense agony complains to brothers like them, when
إِلى الأَخوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما
تَأَوَّبُهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمُوم
Worry keeps him sleepless at night,
I met a back, at the side of An-Naqah, a sister of Bani Tamim.
لِحيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقِيتُ ظُهراً
بِجَنبِ النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ
So when there appeared to my eye from her,
A cheek flowing in an alluring creation,
فَلَمّا أَن بَدا للعَينِ مِنها
أَسِيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ
And an eye with kohl, a slit, and a mouth,
Like an Al-Uqhuwan (a bright star), and a soft neck.
وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ
كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجِيدُ رِيمِ
Her friends gathered around me because of her,
Bending over like those returning to a sick man.
حَنا أَترابُها دُوني عَلَيها
حُنُوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى السَقِيمِ
Chaste women who had not lived a life of misery,
Rather, a life of luxury and comfort.
عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ
وَلَكِن بِالغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ
She captivated the heart of a lovesick melancholic,
With a longing that stirred in him for long.
فَشاقَت قَلبَ مُفتَتنٍ حَزينٍ
عَلى شَوقٍ مُخامِرِهِ قَديمِ
Sighs shook his body, until
It wore out like a perfumed garment becomes worn out.
أَحَلَّ بِجِسمِهِ الزَفَراتِ حَتّى
بَلي كَبلى العَسِيبِ مِنَ الهَشيمِ
He disobeyed his kin, so they avoided him,
As the sincere advisor is shunned by the fool.
وَعاصى الأَقرَبينَ فَزا يَلُوهُ
كَما عُزِلَ المُصِحُّ عَن المُهِيمِ
I will remember her name as long as I live,
A man who reveals his secret is not like one who conceals it.
لَأَذكُرُ إِسمَها ما دُمتُ حَيّاً
وَما الرَجُلُ المُصَرِّحُ كَالكَتُومِ
He only sleeps at night dozing,
Like the sleep of the healthy.
يُسَهَّدُ ما يَنامُ اللَيل إِلّا
غِشاشاً مِثلَ تَسهِيدِ السَلِيمِ
And none captivated hearts and delighted eyes,
Revealing her to them, like one gently bending.
وَما شاقَ القُلوبَ وَراقَ عَيناً
فَتُجلاهُ كَذِي دَلٍّ رَخيمِ
Weak in strength, but strong in plotting,
With her glance when she winked mischievously,
ضَعِيفِ البَطشِ ذي كَيدٍ شَدِيدٍ
بِنَظرَتِهِ إِذا أَومى سَؤُوم
A timid partridge, with soft down,
And plumage upon a delicate neck.
خَرَوسٍ حِجلُهُ وَيَجُولُ مِنهُ
وِشاحاهُ عَلى كَشحٍ هَضِيمِ
