أَعاذِلَيَّ أَما لِلَومِ تَغِييرُ
لا تَعذَلاني فَإِنّي اليَومَ مَعذُورُ
Reproach me not, for blame brings no change;
Condemn me not, I'm excused today.
إِذ غابَ عَقلي وَلَم يُترَك لِجُثَّتِهِ
رُوحٌ فَهَل رُوحُ مَن قَد ماتَ مَنشُورُ
My reason left, no soul in its husk remained
For one long dead, is spirit still astray?
أَلقَلبُ رَهنٌ لَدى أَسماءَ مَأسُورُ
قَد أَوثَقَتهُ فَلُبُّ القَلبِ مَقمُورُ
My heart's a prisoner in Asma's keep,
By her bound tight, its pulses faintly beat.
مِن نَظرَةٍ غَشِيَتني إِذ رَفَعتُ لَها
طَرفي وَما شَعَرَت جِدّاً سَمادِيرُ
At a glance from her that came upon me unaware
As I raised my eyes, nor was I discrete,
إِلّا التِماحاً وَبَعضُ الوَجهِ مُنكَشِفٌ
وَالبُردُ دُوني عَلى أَسماءَ مَستُورُ
Just a glimpse, some features partly bare,
While below, her veil did Asma discrete.
أَبصَرتُ وَجهاً لَها في جِيدِهِ تَلَعٌ
تَحتَ العُقُودِ وَفي القُرطَينِ تَشمِيرُ
On her brow a mole that with mischief flirts
Below her braids and pendant earrings pert.
وَجهٌ تَحَيَّرَ مِنهُ الماءُ في بَشَرٍ
صافٍ لَهُ حِينَ أَبدَتهُ لَنا نُورُ
A face that water in purity pale
Misted o'er when unveiled in morning's light.
مُبَطَّنٌ بِبَياضٍ كادَ يَقهَرُهُ
قَهرَ الدُجى مِن صَديعِ الفَجرِ مَشهُورُ
Lined with whiteness that outshone the veil
Of dusk's departing gloom at dawn's first sight.
وَما تَراءَت لَنا عَمداً وَما شَعَرَت
لَكِن جَلَتها لَنا تِلكَ الأَخادِيرُ
Not displayed for us deliberately, unaware
We spied her charms from gaps in her headwear.
مِن حَيثُما عَلِمَت أَسماءُ أُبصِرُها
إِنَّ العُيونَ تَرى مَن دُونَهُ السُورُ
Wherever Asma knew my eyes would stray
They could see beyond her cover there.
كَأَنَّما فَوقَهُ وَالحَليُ مُبتَهِجٌ
جَمرٌ بِظَلماءَ فَوقَ الحَبيبِ مَنشُورُ
As if above her brow the jewelry gay
Were embers over the beloved's lair.
تَرُودُ فيهِ قُطوفٌ مَشيُها أُصُلاً
كَما يَرُودُ قَطُوفُ المَشي مَحسُورُ
Among them red gems swayed whose lovely gait
Mimicked the red nemopsis' cockscomb's sway.
غَرثى الوِشاحِ وَرابٍ ما أَحاطَ بِهِ
مِنها الأَزارُ وَما في الحِجلِ مَمكُورُ
Dishevelled hair and down that failed to hide
Her bodice and all the anklet within held secure.
يَصيحُ في صَفحِ مَتنَيها لَهُ قَرَشٌ
كَما تَصَيَّحُ في العَذقِ العَصافِيرُ
On the sheen of her cheek a moan for her cried
As songbirds cry out from among the flowers pure.
بِهنانَةٌ خُلِقَت أُنثى مُؤَنَّثَةً
إِذ في الكَثيرِ مِنَ النِسوانِ تَذكيرُ
Feminine charm was she, femininity its idol wrought
When in many a woman masculinity is caught.
كَأَنَّها إِذ تَكَفّى في تَأَوُّدِها
غُصنٌ يُراحُ عَلى عَلياءِ مَمَطُورُ
When she smiled it was as if, in her affection,
A branch she were, bending over a wall well-watered.
مِن بانَةٍ طُلَّ أَعلاهُ فَمالَ بِهِ
كَأَنَّهُ لانحِدارِ الماءِ مَهصُورُ
Of straight stature, its top inclined in gentle deflection
As if for the water's downward flow well-ordered.
لا القَولُ مِنها إِذا راجَعتها هَذِرٌ
وَلا عَيِيٌّ بِرَجعِ القَولِ مَنزُورُ
No foolish prattle when she conversed with care;
Nor wearisome in comeback, her speech so rare.
نِعمَ اللِحافُ بَلَيلٍ بارِدٍ شَبِمٍ
يَأوي إِلى كِنِّهِ بِاللَيلِ مَقرُورُ
What a warm quilt for a cold and bleak night
Sheltering, to its embrace, one who quaked in fear!
في طِيبِ رَيّا وَرِيقٍ حِينَ تَطرُقُها
وَقَد دَنا مِن نُجُومِ اللَيلِ تَغويرُ
In sweet fragrance and softness, when in its site
The stars of night begin to draw near.
وَما خَبَرتُ الَّذي فيها فَأذكره
لَكِن أَتَتني بِما فيهِ الأَخابيرُ
I know not what her qualities yet I feel
But senses bring me what the tidings reveal.
فَجِئتُ قَسراً وَما نَفسِي بِناجِيَةٍ
إِذا دَعاها إِلى حينٍ مقاديرُ
Helpless I came though unwilling to confide
When the appointed time summons pause to hear.
