وَخُوَيدةٍ عَضب السّيوفِ بِجَفنها

مِن دَأبِها قتل النّفوسِ وَشَأنها

And a tender maiden, with sweet swords in her eyelids—

Whose constant habit and concern is killing souls;

سَكرى سَقَت خَمرَ الهَوى مِن دَنِّها

وَمَليحة تَنفي الهُمومَ بِحُسنها

Drunk, she poured the wine of passion from her jar,

And a lovely one who banishes cares with her beauty;

وَمُهَفهَفٍ يزري الغّصونَ بِقَدّهِ

سَبَتِ الغصونَ بِمَشيِها وَبِعَدوِها

And a slender beauty whose figure puts the branches to shame;

She captivated the branches with her walking and her running.

وَالبدرُ خادِمُها وَلَيس بِصنوِها

في حينَما راقَ الدّجى مِن صَفوِها

The full moon is her servant, and is not her equal,

When the darkness grew lovely through her limpid purity.

غَنَّت فَأَطرَبَت الغلامَ بِشَدوها

وَبِشَدوِها لَعِبَ الغلامُ ببندِهِ

She sang, delighting the young man with her song,

And to her song the young man toyed with her sash.

هِيَ حِبُّه المَعشوقُ وَهوَ حَبيبُها

مَسلوبَة في عِشقِهِ وَسَليبها

She is his adored love, and he is her beloved;

Despoiled by love for him, while he is her captive.

رامَت تقبِّلهُ فَقامَ يُجيبُها

فَدَنا يُقَبِّلها فَمَرَّ رَقيبها

She sought to kiss him, and he rose to answer her;

He drew near to kiss her, but her watcher passed by.

خافَت عَلَيهِ فَأَسرَعَت في رَدِّهِ

وَمِنَ الرّقيبِ رَأَت لِخَوفِ دِرايَةٍ

Fearing for him, she swiftly thrust him back,

And because of the watcher, she saw wisdom in fear.

خَفقان قَلبٍ ما لَهُ مِن غايَة

في رَدِّها قَد كانَ أَوضَحَ آية

A heart was pounding without end—

In her rebuff had been the clearest sign.

لَطَمَت عَوارِضَه بِغَيرِ جِنايَة

مِنها فَأثّر نَقشُها في وَردهِ

She slapped his cheeks, though there had been no offense,

And her handprint left its pattern upon his rose.

فَغَدَت بِهِ بَعد الرّقيب لِعرشها

وَخَلت بِه فَوقَ البِساطِ وَفرشها

Then, once the watcher had gone, she took him to her throne,

And was alone with him upon her carpet and bedding.

وَلِخَدّهِ مَسَّت مَخافة خَدشها

وَاِخضَرَّ آسُ عِذارِهِ مِن نَقشِها

She touched his cheek, afraid that she had scratched it;

The myrtle of his cheek-down grew green from her handprint,

وَاِحمَرَّ باطِنُ كَفِّها مِن خَدّهِ

And the inside of her palm reddened from his cheek.