مذُ شامَ سيفَ لحاظهِ المسلولا

ما تلتقي إلاَّ دماً مَطلولا

Since he unsheathed his sharpened sword at nightfall,

it meets with nothing but spilled blood.

رَشأُ يُجَدِّلُنا لَهُ خصرٌ ترَى

منهُ مكانَ وشاحهِ مَجدولا

A slender waist whose belt you see

decorated with pearls in rows.

كالظَّبيِ خلقاً بل كرئبالِ الشَّرى

خُلقاً يُعيدُ به العزيزَ ذَليلا

In nature like a gazelle, or even like a fierce lion,

in manner he can make the mighty abased.

فإذا عطا قل كيفض فارقَ سريَه

وإذا سطا قل كيفَ أخلى الغِيلا

If he gives, say how his secret was exposed,

and if he is angry, say how he emptied his hatred.

نَشوانُ ما مالت شَمائلُ عِطفهِ

إلاَّ لكونِ الرِّيقِ منهُ شَمولا

The inclinations of his features never lean

except to let his spittle spread.

لو شاءَ أحيا بالرُّضابِ ورَشفهِ

مَن غادرَتهُ مُقلَتاهُ قتيلا

If he wished, he could revive with his blows

one left as a corpse by his blinking eyes.

فكأنَّ في فيهِ مسيحاً ثانياً

وكأنَّ في جفنيه عزرائيلا

So it is as if there were a second Messiah in his mouth

and two Azraels in his eyelids,

قمرٌ يريكَ إِذا بدا في نَثرةٍ

مِن كلِّ طَرفٍ فَوقَه إِكليلا

A moon who, when he appears in a meadow,

you see above him a crown from every side.

مُتقاربٌ ما منه حظِّي وافرٌ

فمديدُ ليلي لا يزالُ طويلا

He is of compact build, having no softness,

so my long night remains forever prolonged.

مَرحٌ بِقدكمُ على ضعفي له

ميلٌ وجَفنٌ ليسَ يعرفُ مِيلا

He is easygoing about my weakness,

having a tendency and eyelids that know no inclination.