أصبَحَ القَلبُ ذا هُيَامٍ دَخِيلِ

مِن هَوَى نازِحِ المَزَا ربَخِيلِ

My heart has become possessed with passionate love

Of one whose abode was lofty and remote

مَن هَوَى مَن هَوَيتُ لَم أكُ أدرِى

ما اسمُهَا لاَ ولاَ مِن أيِّ قَبِيلِ

I loved one whom I loved, but did not know

Neither her name, nor which tribe she was from

غَيرَ أني رَأيتُهَا ذَاتَ يَومٍ

في خَلَيطٍ قَد أَزمَعُوا لِلرَّحِيلِ

Only that I saw her one day

In a caravan about to depart

بَينَمَا الحَىُّ يَرحَلُونَ المَطَايَا

وَهى في الكِنِّ تَحتَ ظِلٍّ ظَلِيلِ

While the camels were being loaded

She was in the litter, in the shade of a canopy

تَحتَهُ فَاتِرُ الجُفُونِ كَحِيلٍ

يَقذِفُ السِّحرَ فَوقَ خَدٍّ أَسِيلِ

Beneath it, languid-eyed like a startled gazelle

The dawn spreading its magic on a smooth cheek

فَتَحَيَّرتُ ثُمَّ أَطرَقتُ حِيناً

ثُمَّ مَا إِن لَبِثتُ غَيرَ قَلِيلِ

I was perplexed for a while, then bowed my head

And before long I raised it again

فَتَبَدَّت فَقُلتُ مَن أَنتِ يَاذِى

فَتَوَارَت عني حِذَارَ الحَلِيلِ

And saw her, so I said "Who are you, O vision?"

But she hid from me, fearing disgrace