نُجَلّي ببازِيٍّ عيونَ ذَوي النُهى
إليهِ لأبصار المَحاسنِ صُورُ
My companion with a falconer's eyes
To behold the beauties they are doors
مكان سوادِ العَينِ مِنهُ عَقيقةٌ
وَتبرٌ عَلى خَطِّ السوادِ يَدورُ
In place of the black of his eye a ruby
And dust upon the line of black revolves
تَمورُ إذا ما رنَّقَت في مآقِها
كما مار مِن ماءِ الزُجاجَةِ نورُ
Dates when they are delicate in their pouches
As the light flows from water in a jar
فإن جحظَت عضنهُ استَوى في مدارِهِ
وإن مالَ عَن لحظٍ فَفيه شُطورُ
If he narrows his eyelids they are equal in their course
And if he glances sideways in them crossings
لَهُ قُرطقٌ البنائق أنمَرٌ
مُفوَّفُ ضاحي الشَقَّتَينِ طَريرُ
He has a cropped beard, soft as fur
Blown about, clearing his cheekbones, chirping
وَمِن تَحتِهِ دِرعٌ كأَنَّ رُقومَهُ
تعاريجُ وَشيٍ أَرضهنَّ حَريرُ
And beneath it a coat of mail as though its links
Were the terraces of a mountain, their ground silk
كأنَّ اندِماجَ الريشِ مِنهُ حبائِكٌ
بعقبِ سحاباتٍ لَهُنَّ نُشورُ
As though the meshing of its feathers were braids
After clouds, for them there are risings
لَهُ هامَةٌ مَلساءُ إمّا قذالها
فموفٍ وإمّا جيدُها فقَصيرُ
He has a smooth turban, either its rolls
Are crisp, or his plait beneath it short
ململمةٌ فرعاءُ لولا شكيرها
لقلت مَداكٍ ضُمِّنَتهُ صخورُ
Curled, luxuriant, were it not for its straightness
I would say gathered rocks compacted in it
معصَّبةٌ بالقِدِّ ذات نواشرٍ
لها من خطاطيف الحديد ظفور
Girdled with effort, having glittering menace
In it flashes of iron erupting
لهُ مِنسَرٌ يحكي من الظَبي رَوقَهُ
إذا تمَّ للتجبير منه سطورُ
He has a sniffle which tells of the gazelle’s grace
When the rhymings in it are complete
له فُرَقٌ فوقَ القذالِ كأنَّها
ولم يَعرُهُ وَخطُ القَتيرِ قَتيرُ
He has plumes above the skull-cap as though
No line of evil nor scar touched it
تَخَيَّرهُ القَنّاصُ من بين عصبةٍ
لهم عند فخرِ القانصينَ فخورُ
The fowler chose him from among a company
For them near the pride of fowlers pride
وهَذَّبَهُ حتى كأنَّ ضميرَهُ
له دون ما تهوى النفوس ضميرُ
And refined him until it was as though his conscience
Had nothing beyond what souls desire
أتانا بهِ من رأسِ خلقاءَ حَزنةٍ
لها فَوقَ أرآدِ الشعاف ذرورُ
He brought us from the head of sad separation
For it above the twilight of meadows soarings
مؤلَّلةٍ جَلسٍ إذا الطرف رامها
أعادت إليه الجفن وهو حسير
Adorned seated, when an eyelash seeks her
She returns to it the eyelid and it is bewildered
كآدٍ تحامها الأنوق فما لها
بأحضانها دون الرؤوس وكور
Like a wish she shields them the gentlefolk so she has
No bosom to shelter the heads and full moons
سباهُ صغيراً فاستمرَّ بحزمِهِ
وردَّ إليه العزمَ وهوَ كبيرُ
He captured him young and persisted in his resolve
And returned to him determination though grown
يقطِّع أسحار البغاث كأنَّما
له في نحور البائسات ثؤور
He cuts the dreams of simpletons as though
For him in the throats of the wretches were wounds
يُبَوَّأ أيدي مالكيه كأنه
على آمريه في الجلال أميرُ
He lodges the hands of his owners as if he
Over his command in majesty were prince
