أَتُرَى يُثْنِيهِ عَن قَسْوَتِهِ

خدُّهُ الذّائب من رِقَّتِهِ

Does his cheek's softness dissuade him

From his harshness, while the wolves plead to him because of his tenderness?

أَفَأَستنجدُهُ وَهوَ الّذي

لَوَّنَ الدَّمْعَ على صِبْغَتِهِ

Shall I seek his help when he is the one

Who colored my tears as per his dye?

أَوْمَا حاجِبُهُ حاجبَهُ

إنْ تَجَافَى عن مَدَى جَفْوَتِهِ

Or do his frowning eyebrows frown

If he turns away from the extent of his aloofness?

فلِهذا قوسُهُ مُوتَرَةٌ

تَستَمِدُّ النَّبْلَ من مُقْلَتِهِ

That's why his bow is taut,

Drawing arrows from his eyelashes.

قمرٌ لا فخرَ للبدْرِ سوَى

أَنَّه صِيغَ على صورتِهِ

A moon that the full moon takes no pride in

Except that it was created in its image.

صدغُهُ كَرْمَةُ خَمْرٍ قسِّمَتْ

بَينَ خَدَّيهِ إلى نَكْهَتِهِ

The mole on his cheek is a grape of wine

That extended from one cheek to the other in pleasantness.

فتَّرَتْ جَفْنَيْه منها نَشوَةٌ

تُوقِظُ العاذِل من سَكْرَتِهِ

His eyelids were numbed by it with an intoxication

That awakens the lover from his drunkenness.

أَتخالُ الخالَ يعلو خَدَّهُ

نقطَ مِسْكٍ ذابَ مِن طُرَّتهِ

Can a beauty spot rise above his cheek,

A spot of musk that melted from its essence?

ذاكَ قَلبي سُلِبَتْ حَبَّتُهُ

وَاِسْتَوَتْ خالاً على وجْنَتِهِ

That is my heart whose love was robbed

And it became a mole upon his cheek.