نَالَتْ عَلى يَدِها مَا لَمْ تَنَلْهُ يَدِي

نَقْشاً عَلَى مِعْصَمٍ أَوْهَتْ بِهِ جَلَدِي

She obtained by her hand what my hand did not obtain

An engraving on a wrist that softened my skin

كأَنَّهُ طُرْقُ نَمْلٍ في أَنامِلِها

أَوْ رَوْضَةٌ رَصَّعَتْها السُّحْبُ بِالْبَرَدِ

As if it were ants' trails on her fingers

Or a garden dotted by clouds with hail

كأَنَّها خَشِيَتْ مِنْ نَبْلِ مُقْلَتِها

فَأَلْبَسَتْ زَنْدَها دِرْعاً مِنَ الزَّرَدِ

As if she feared the arrows of her eyelashes

So she dressed her beauty in armor of aquamarines

مَدَّتْ مَوَاشِطَها في كَفِّها شَرَكاً

تَصِيدُ قَلْبِي بِهِ مِنْ داخِلِ الجَسَدِ

She extended her eyeliner in her palm as a snare

To hunt my heart from within my body

وَقَوْسُ حَاجِبِها مِنْ كلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ

وَنَبْلُ مُقْلَتِها تَرْمِي بِهِ كَبِدِي

And her eyebrow bow from every side

And her eyelash arrows that pierce my liver

وَعَقْرَبُ الصُّدْغِ قَدْ بَانَتْ زُبانَتُهُ

وَنَاعِسُ الطَّرْفِ يَقْظانٌ عَلى رَصَدي

And the mole on her cheek revealed its blade

And the sleepy eyes are awake watching me

إِنْ كانَ في جُلَّنارِ الخَدِّ مِنْ عَجَبٍ

فَالصَّدْرُ يَطْرَحُ رُمَّاناً لِمَنْ يَرِدِ

If there is any wonder in the rose of her cheek

Then the chest casts pomegranates for anyone who wants

وَخَصْرُها ناحِلٌ مِثْلِي عَلى كَفَلٍ

مُرَجْرَجٍ قَدْ حَكى الأَحْزَان في الخَلَدِ

And her waist is delicate like mine on shoulders

Creaking that recalled sorrows in eternity

إِنْسِيَّةٌ لَوْ بَدَتْ لِلْشَّمْسِ ما طَلَعَتْ

مِنْ بَعْدِ رُؤْيَتِها يَوْماً عَلى أَحَدِ

She is so beautiful, if she appeared to the sun, it would not

Rise again after seeing her one day over anyone

سَأَلْتُهَا الوَصْلَ قَالَتْ أَنْتَ تَعْرِفُنا

مَنْ رَامَ مِنَّا وِصالاً مَاتَ بِالكَمَدِ

I asked her for union, she said: "You know us

Whoever longs for our union dies suppressed"

وَكَمْ قَتِيلٍ لَنَا في الحُبِّ مَاتَ جَوىً

مِنَ الغَرامِ وَلَمْ يُبْدِئْ وَلَمْ يُعِدِ

And how many were killed for our love, died burning

Of passion, without initiating or promising

فَقُلْتُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ الرَّحْمنَ مِنْ زَلَلٍ

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ قَلِيلُ الصَّبْرِ وَالجَلَدِ

So I said: “I ask forgiveness from the Most Merciful for my errors

The lover has little patience and composure."

قَالَتْ وَقَدْ فَتَكَتْ فِينا لَوَاحِظُها

مَا إِنْ أَرى لِقَتِيلِ الحُبِّ مِنْ قَوَدِ

She said, and her glances have ravaged me:

"I do not see any retribution for the slain of love."

قَدْ خَلَّفَتْنِي طَريحاً وَهْيَ قَائِلَةٌ

تَأَمَّلوا كَيْفَ فِعْلُ الظَّبْيِ بِالأَسَدِ

She left me lying down while saying:

"See how the gazelle acted with the lion."

قَالَتْ لِطَيْفِ خَيَالٍ زَارَني وَمَضى

بِاللَهِ صِفْهُ وَلا تَنْقُصْ وَلا تَزِدِ

She said to the phantom that visited me and left:

"By God describe him, do not subtract or add."

فَقَالَ أَبْصَرْتُهُ لَوْ مَاتَ مِنْ ظَمَأ

وَقُلْتِ قِفْ عَنْ وُرُودِ المَاءِ لَمْ يَرِدِ

He said: “I saw him, if he died of thirst

And you said: ‘Stop reaching the water,’ he would not want."

قَالَتْ صَدَقْتَ الوَفَا في الحُبِّ عَادَتُهُ

يَا بَرْدَ ذاكَ الَّذي قَالَتْ عَلَى كَبِدِي

She said: “You spoke the truth. The loyalty in love is its habit,

O coolness of the one who said ‘freezing upon my liver."

وَاسْتَرْجَعَتْ سَأَلَتْ عَنِّي فَقِيلَ لَهَا

مَا فِيهِ مِنْ رَمَقٍ دَقَّتْ يَداً بِيَدِ

And she regained consciousness, asked about me, and was told:

"There is no life left in him." She clapped hand to hand,

وَأَمْطَرَتْ لُؤْلُؤأً مِنْ نَرْجِسٍ وَسَقَتْ

وَرْداً وَعَضَّتْ عَلَى العُنَّابِ بِالبَرَدِ

And rained pearls of narcissi and watered

Roses and bit the lemon with the hail,

وَأَنْشَدَتْ بِلِسَانِ الحَالِ قَائِلةً

مِنْ غَيْرِ كُرْهٍ وَلا مَطْلٍ وَلا جَلَدِ

And recited with the language of state, saying:

"Without resentment, procrastination or composure."

وَاللَهِ مَا حَزِنَتْ أُخْتٌ لِفَقْدِ أَخٍ

حُزْني عَلَيْهِ وَلا أُمٌّ عَلَى وَلَدِ

By God, no sister has grieved the loss of a brother

like my sorrow over him, nor a mother over her son.

فَأَسْرَعَتْ وَأَتَتْ تَجْرِي عَلَى عَجَلٍ

فَعِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِها لَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ جَلَدِي

So she hurried and came rushing hastily,

and when she saw me I could not restrain myself.

وَجَرَّعَتْنِي بِرِيقٍ مِنْ مَرَاشِفِها

فَعَادَتِ الرُّوحُ بَعْدَ المَوْتِ فِي جَسَدِي

And she gave me a draught from her pillow,

so the soul returned to my body after death.

هُمْ يَحْسُدُوني عَلَى مَوْتِي فَوا أَسَفِي

حَتَّى عَلَى المَوْتِ لا أَخْلوُ مِنَ الحَسَدِ

They envy me for my death, what a pity!

Even in death, I am not devoid of envy.