تُمسي تُذَكِّرُنا الشَبابَ وَعهدهُ

حَسناءُ مُرهَقةُ القَوامِ فنَذكُر

At evening, she reminds us of youth and its days—

a beauty, slender of form—and so we remember.

هَيفاءُ أَسكَرَها الجمالُ وَبعضُ ما

أوفى على قدرِ الكِفايَةِ يُسكِرُ

Slender-waisted, beauty has intoxicated her; and some

of what exceeds mere sufficiency can intoxicate.

تَثِبُ القُلوبُ إلى الرءوس إذا بَدت

وَتُطِلُّ من حدقِ العُيونِ وَتنظُرُ

Hearts leap up into heads whenever she appears,

and peer out through the pupils of the eyes and gaze.

وَتبيتُ تكفُرُ بالنُحورِ قلائِدٌ

فَإِذا دنَت من نَحرِها تَستَغفِرُ

Necklaces spend the night renouncing all other necks,

but when they draw near her throat, they beg forgiveness.

وَتَزيدُ في فَمِها اللآلىءُ قيمةً

حتّى يسودُ كبيرَهُنَّ الأَصغَرُ

And pearls increase in value within her mouth,

until the smallest of them reigns over the greatest.