قَطَعَت قَتولُ قَرينَةَ الحَبلِ

وَنَأَت بِقَلبِ مُتَيَّمِ العَقلِ

My beloved cut off the cord of companionship,

And came with a heart full of madness.

سَبَقَت رُجوعَ السَجفِ نَظرَتُهُ

فَأَصابَ غِرَّةَ شادِنٍ طِفلِ

Her gaze preceded the return of the twilight,

And struck the cheek of a weaning child.

لَولا تَخَفُّرُها لَأَطعَمَنا

فيها مَعارِضُ ضَحكَةِ البَذلِ

If not for her pretense, we would have

Given her streams of laughter and generosity.

رَفَعَت بِمَنكِبِها الشَمالُ ذُيو

لَ الخِدرِ دونَ نَواعِمٍ نُجلِ

She raised her left shoulder, bare

Of any cloak, unlike gentle damsels.

فَاِرتَعنَ مُبتَدِراتٍ مُثقَلَةَ ال

أَردافِ فَعمَةَ مَكمَنِ الحِجلِ

Then heavily built flirts swaggered,

With ample rumps concealed in their robes.

أَنهَضنَها مَثنى خَلاخِلِها

مَثنى غَدائِرِ فاحِمٍ جَثلِ

They rose with the jingling of their anklets,

Like the jingling of a vigorous young camel.

فَسَتَرنَها بِأَكُفِهِنَّ وَقَد

نَفَذَت مَرامِيَ صائِبِ النَبلِ

They screened themselves with their palms, after

The arrows of the skillful archer had pierced.

تَبِعَ الصِبا وَقَضى بِنَظرَتِهِ

وَطَراً وَساوَرَ خُطَّةَ القَتلِ

The youth pursued his desire and fulfilled his quest,

Though the path led to the realm of murder.

وَفَتىً يَعُدُّ اللَيلَ رَوحَتَهُ

سَبعُ الهُمومِ لِذِكرِها مُشلِ

A man who counts the night as his comfort,

While worries dog him with her memory.

كَلَّفتُهُ ما فَوقَ طاقَتِهِ

دُلَجاً تَنالُ حَفيظَةَ الفَسلِ

I tasked him beyond his capacity,

A peril that try the temper of a stalwart man.

فَتَنَجَّزَ الهِمّاتِ مَوعِدَها

وَاللَيلُ مُعتَكِفٌ عَلى رِجلِ

So he accomplished his pledge,

While the night lingered on one foot.

أَخَذَ السُرى وَكَبا النُعاسُ بِهِ

فَكَأَنَّهُ رَحلٌ عَلى الرَحلِ

He took to the road as slumber overcame him,

As if he were a traveler riding his mount.

وَهَجيرَةٍ أَدرَجتُ مَوقِدَها

وَبُطونُها وَظُهورُها تَغلي

With a cooking pot I prepared,

Its sides and surface boiling,

بِنَجاءِ ناجِيَةٍ يَسورُ بِها

هادي النَجيبِ وَهامَةُ الفَحلِ

With the moan of a moaning woman,

Led by the guide of the highborn and the camel stallion.

تَنجو بِجَنَّةِ أَولَقٍ وَخُطىً

عَجَلَ الصِبا وَدِلالَةَ الهِقلِ

She escaped to a barren valley on hasty feet,

Hurried by the youth and the prodding of the driver.

راحَت فَما عَرَضَ الصَباحُ لَها

إِلّا وَقَد هَتَكَتهُ مِن قُبلِ

The morning came upon her and did not pause

Before ravishing her completely.