وزَنجِيةٍ جَاذبتُ جَانِبَ سِرِّهَا

ومَيسُورِهَا مُستَفهِماً كُنهَ سِرِّهَا

I drew near a black girl, alluring,

Seeking to fathom the heart of her mystery;

فَسَاءَلتُهَا عَن دَارِهَا فَتَبَسَّمَت

فَرُمتُ لِفَهمِى سِرَّهَا كَشفٌ سِرِّهَا

I asked her about her home, and she smiled,

As if to reveal her heart was to unveil its secret.

فَسَا يَرتُهَا تَمشِى تُجَرِّرُ سِرَّهَا

وفي جَرِّهِ في القَلبِ رَفعٌ لِجَرِّهَا

I saw her walking, dragging her mystery,

Yet the tugging but increased the pull at my heart.

فَقَالَت لَدَارِى أحسُنُ الدُّورِ كُلِّها

ويَحسُنُ الإستقَرارُ في مُستَقَرِّهَا

“My home,” said she, “is above all so fair;

Sweet to reside in is its dwelling place.

لَذِيذٌ لِمَنَ رَامَ الحَرَارَةَ حَرُّهَا

ومَن رَامَ قُرّاً يَستَلِذُّ بِقُرِّهَا

Hot is it longing for who yearns for its heat,

And sweet for who seeks rest to repose in its peace.”

لها اليَلِىٌّ مُسبَكِرٌّ وأشنَبٌ

أغَرُّ شَتِيتُ النَّبتِ مُزرٍ بِدُرِّهَا

By night it is moonlit, starry and bright,

The fairest of meadows all moist with its dew;

فَظَلتُ بِتِلكَ الدَّارِ ألهُو ومُقلَتِى

تُرَدَّدُ في لَيليِّهَا وأَغرِّهَا

I lingered about that home, blissful and gay,

Delighting in nothing save roaming its shades.

إِلى أن دَنَأ إتيَانُ بَعضِ عِيَالِهَا

ومَهمَا أتَى تَخشَ بَوَادِرَ ضُرِّهَا

Until the approach of some boys of her clan,

Put fear in my heart of the peril of harm.

فَوَدَّعتُها والقَلبُ يغلي صَبَابَةً

وقَامَت لِتَودِيعِى إلَى جَنبِ كَرِّهَا

I greeted her then, and with heart hot as fire,

She rose to her feet in a swirl of her robe.