قد أغتدي نشوانَ من خَمرِ الكَرى

أسحبُ بُردَيَّ على بُردِ الثَّرى

I have become intoxicated with the wine of distress,

Dragging my cloak over the cold earth.

والصُّبحُ حَمْلٌ بينَ أحشاءِ الدُّجى

والرِّيحُ كالرَّاحِ نأى عنها القَذَى

Morning is a burden in the belly of darkness,

And the wind is like a demon cleansed of sin.

يَنُمُّ ريَّاها على زَهْرِ الرُّبى

بذاتِ أحداقٍ تَرى ما لا يُرى

Its breeze spreads over the flowers of the hillside

With a gaze that sees what cannot be seen,

مُلاءَةٍ ما نُسِجَتْ لُترتَدى

تُرِيكَ ضُعفاً ظاهراً وهو قُوى

A softness not woven to be worn,

Showing you weakness while powerful,

وجدَّةٍ تحسُبِها العينُ بِلى

غبراءَ كَالدِّرْعِ تغشَّاها الصَّدا

And a body that seems withered

Dusty as a coat covered with rust,

تَعومُ في أبيضَ كالآلِ صَفا

ترسُبُ في أحشائِه صفرُ الحَشا

Floating in pure white like pearls,

Seeping into its depths the yellow of autumn,

فتعتلي منه بأحشاءِ مِلا

تضحكُ عن مثلِ صغيراتِ المِدى

Then rising from it with the innards of a wave.

It laughs at the likes of little girls,

تعلو إذا انحطَّت ببيضٍ كالدُمى

أو عن نَقيِّ البطنِ مَوشيِّ القَرى

Ascending though abased in pure white like a tear,

Or from the belly of a slim and well-built steed

كأنها عِقدُ لآلٍ قد وَهَى

يومضُ فيها كالحُسامِ المُنتضَى

As if a necklace of pearls that is coming undone.

Flashing in it like an unsheathed sword

لم يدرِ لمّا قصُرَت عنها الخُطى

أَظَلَّه منها رِداءٌ أَم رَدى

That did not know when the steps fell short before it

Did its gown shade it, or was it bare?

فذلك اللذاتُ لا صيدَ الطَّلا

يجري على آثاره الطِّرفُ الوأَى

For that is pleasure, not hunting game,

Flowing after it the roving glance,

حتى يُرَى عنه كليلاً قد ونى

Until exhausted, it is seen to have weakened.