جَلَتْ عَنْ حِجابَيْ خَجلةٍ وتَنقُّبِ

كما لاحَ بَدْرٌ عن سَحابٍ وغَيْهبِ

She unveiled from behind her veil of shyness

Like the full moon emerging from clouds and disappearance

فتاةٌ غَدا دَهري يُماطِلُني بِها

فأُعْتِبُهُ حتَّى انْثَنى للتَّعَتُّبِ

A girl who preoccupied me for a period of my life

So I reproached time until I bent to beg

مَهدْتُ لها من فَضْلِ وُدِّيَ جانِباً

إلى أنْ دَنَتْ مِنْ بَعْد طُول تَجَنُّبِ

I prepared for her from the goodness of my love a place

Until she came near after a long avoidance

نَضَتْ عن مُحَيَّا الصُّبح سِجْفَ غَمامَةٍ

ولاحَت بمرأىً في المَلاحَةِ مُغْرِبِ

The brightness of morning unveiled from the cheek of gloom a cloud

And appeared clearly in view at sunset

فصدَّت لِحاظي عن سَناها مَهابةً

بها حَجْبُها عَنِّي إذا لم تَحجَّبِ

So she blocked my sight from her radiance in awe

Her veil prevents me from seeing her if she doesn't veil

أتتْ تتَهادى بَيْنَ أتْرابِها صِباً

فقُل ظَبيةٌ قَدْ أقبلَتْ وسْطَ رَبْرَبِ

She came swaying between her peers in youth

So say a gazelle who arrived amidst the wilderness

مَهاةٌ جَرَى ماءُ الحياةِ بِثَغرِها

رُضاباً أعاذَتْهُ المَنونُ بِعَقْرَبِ

A doe whose water of life flows from her lips

Quenching it from death with the tip of her mouth

خَصِيبةُ طَيِّ الأزْرِ جَدْبٌ وِشاحُها

فرِدْفٌ لِبَغذاذٍ وعِطفٌ لِيَثْربِ

Khasibah, the excellent and her covering barren land

An accessory to Bughdad and a wrapping for Yathrib

تَزُرُّ على البَدْرِ المُنيرِ جُيوبَها

فلا حُسْنَ إلّا ضمنَ ذاكَ المُنَقَّبِ

She covers over the bright full moon her pockets

So no beauty except within that which is veiled

مُنَعَّمَةُ الأطرافِ تَعبثُ بالنُّهى

كما عَبثتْ أيامُ هَجري بمأْرَبِي

Of beautiful limbs she plays with prohibition

As did the days of my estrangement at Ma'rib

إذا ما اعْتَزت في الحُسنِ بانَ اعتزازُها

بِشَمْسِ الضحى أُمٍّ وبَدْرِ الدُّجى أبِ

If she competes in beauty, her pride is

In the sun of morning a mother and in the full moon of night a father

مِنَ الواضِحاتِ الغُرِّ لو أنَّها سَرَتْ

بأكْمَهَ لَيْلاً مازَها عَنْ تَنَقُّبِ

From the lucid beauties, if she walked

At night in a veil, none would discern her veil

فَما الشَّمسُ قد لاحَتْ ضُحىً وسْطَ مَشرقٍ

بأملحَ منها قدْ تَجلَّتْ بِمغْرِبِ

For the sun has not risen at dawn in an eastern horizon

More beautifully than her unveiled at sunset

جُويريةٌ تَجري دَماً في مَفاصِلي

فقد ذَهَبَتْ بي في الهَوى كُلَّ مَذْهَبِ

She flows blood in my joints

So she has taken me in love through every course

تُريكَ انْعِطافَ القُضْبِ والطَيرُ ساجعٌ

إذا ماانْثَنَتْ رَقْصاً بصَوْتٍ مُطَرِّبِ

You see the bend of her slender frame and the bird turns back

When she sways dancing with a melodious voice

أيا جَنَّةً مِن رِيقها كوْثرٌ لَها

تُرى مَشْرقي في الحُبِّ مِنْك مُقَرّبي

O paradise of her saliva a spring for her

You see my east in love through you brought near

نَهضْتُ بفَرضِ الحبِّ أبغي تَنعُّماً

لَديكِ فَمَنْ نَعَّمْتِهِ لم يُعَذَّبِ

I stood for the duty of love seeking bliss

With you, so whoever you bless is not tormented

ثِقي بوِدادي حالَيِ السُّخطِ والرِّضى

فَليس لِقَلْبي في الهوى منْ تَقَلُّبِ

Trust my passion in my discontent and acceptance

For my heart in love has no fickleness

أأجنحُ من بَعْدِ الهُدى لِضَلالةٍ

وأطلب بعدَ الحقِّ أكْذبَ مَطْلَبِ

Shall I turn after guidance to misguidance

And seek after truth the most false quest?

وَهَبْتُ دَمي عن طِيْبِ نَفسِيَ للهوى

وأهْدَيْتُ أجري للبَنانِ المُخضَّبِ

I gave my blood willingly for love

And gifted my reward to the one whose palms are stained

ذُنوبُ العُيونِ النُّجل مَغْفورةٌ لها

فما الذَّنْبُ إِلّا للفُؤادِ المَعذَّبِ

The sins of the beautiful eyes are forgiven them

For no sin except for the tormented heart

أيا رَحْمَةً إِلّا لِمَشْغوفِ حُبِّها

حَنانَيْك في صَبٍّ أُهَيل مغرّبِ

O mercy but for the passionate lover

Your tenderness at nightfall to the west I pray

صَدوقٌ كأفَّاكٍ وفيٌّ كناكِثٍ

كَتْومٌ كَبوَّاحٍ بَرِيءٌ كَمُذْنِبِ

Trustworthy as Affak, faithful as Nakith

Silent as Katoum, innocent as the sinner

هَبيني ولَوْ إغفاءةً من كرىً عَسى

أرَى طَيْفَكِ السَّاري فَذلِكَ مُحْسِبي

Grant me even a brief glimpse that I might see

Your phantom image for that would suffice me

خُذي بِيَدي تُنجي غَريقاً من الرَّدى

ولا تَكِلِيني للرَّجاءِ المُخَيَّبِ

Take me by the hand to save a drowning man from evil

And do not abandon me to failed hopes