وَمُهَفْهَفٍ كالُغصنِ هَزّتْه الصَّبا
فَصَبا إِليهِ مِنَ الفُتونِ هَوائِي
Swaying like a branch, the morning breeze shook him,
Blowing through him desires and passions untamed,
يُوهِيه حَملُ وِشَاحِهِ فَتَراهُ من
تَرَفِ النعيمِ يَئِنُّ في إِخْفاءِ
Bearing his cloak, displaying a contented ease,
Luxuriating in fortune and living serene.
تَدْمى سوالفُه إِذا لاحظتَها
بخفيِّ كرِّ اللَّحظ والإِيماءِ
When you catch his glances, artful and discreet,
With a flutter of lashes and hinting smiles sweet,
وكأَنَّ عقربَ صُدغِهِ لمَّا انثنتْ
قافٌ معلقةٌ بعطفَةِ فاءِ
The mole on his cheek seems a dot from the pen
Of a scribe who just stopped at the stroke of a “Fa”.
فإِذا نظرتُ إِلى محاسنِ وَجْههِ
لم يَرْوَ من نظري إِليهِ ظَمائِي
When I look on the beauty of his radiant face
My eyes find no haven, no resting place.
حازَ الجَمالُ بأَسْرِهِ فكأَنَّما
قُسِمَتْ عليهِ محاسنُ الأَشْياءِ
On him all perfection of beauty attends
As though for him solely all graces were made.
متبسِّمٌ عنِ لؤلؤٍ رَطبٍ حكى
بَرَداً تساقَطَ منْ عُقُودِ سَماءِ
His smile flashes pearls in the dew softly shed
Like stars when at dawn first the heavens are sprayed.
تُغني عنِ التُّفاحِ حُمرةُ خَدِّهِ
وَتَنُوبُ ريقتهُ عنِ الصَّهباءِ
The blush of his cheek would make apples seem faded.
His saliva would shame even hailstones of jade.
ويُديرُ عيْناً في حَديقَةِ نَرْجِسٍ
كَسَوادِ يأْسٍ في بياضِ رجاءِ
In his narcissus eyes flashes a darkness of care
Through the white of a hope chastely afraid.
فَامْزُجْ بِمائِكَ خَمْرَ كأْسِكَ واسقِني
فلَقَدْ مَزَجتُ مَدامِعي بدمائِي
So pour out your wine and make merry with me,
For I've mingled my tears with my blood utterly.
وَاشْرَبْ عَلَى زَهْرِ الرِّياضِ مُدامةً
تَنْفي الهُمومَ بِعاجِلِ السَّراءِ
Drink deep of life’s rapture with no thought of pain.
Flee grief, flee trouble, tomorrow’s unborn, unseen.
لَطُفَتْ فَصَارتْ من لطيفِ محلِّها
تجري مجاري الرُّوحِ في الأَعْضاءِ
Refined to the essence through the places it ran,
It flows through his body as spirit through man.
وكأَنَّ مِخنَقَةً عليها جَوهَرٌ
ما بَيْنَ نارٍ رُكِّبَتْ وَهَواءِ
His ruby lips wear the gem of his soul
Set between fire and air, wind and flame.
وَيَظَلُّ صبَّاغُ المِزاجِ محكَّماً
في نَقْضِ حُمرتها بأَيدي الماءِ
While perfectly balanced the mixture remains
Proof against all that those pure tints could stain.
وَكَأَنَّها وكأَنَّ حاملَ كأْسها
إِذ قامَ يجْلوها عَلى النُّدَماءِ
He carries his glass like the star of the morn
Risen to toast the deserted domain.
شمسُ الضُّحى رَقَصَتْ فَنَقَّطَ وجهَها
بدرُ الدُّجَى بِكواكِبِ الجَوزاءِ
The sun of good fortune glowed full on his face
The moon of misfortune branded his brow.
