أَقسَمتُ إِذا طَلَعَت عَلَيَّ شُموسَها
وَزَهَت بِها الأَرجاءِ وَهيَ عَروسَها
I swear, when her suns rise upon me
And the horizons are adorned with her beauty as she is their bride
أَعلى مَحلٍ في الجَمالِ مَحلُها
وَبِها فَأَجمَلَ بَلدَةَ طَرسوسَها
She is in the highest place in beauty
And with her, the fairest of cities is Tarsoos
لَم أَحسُدِ العُشّاقَ إِلّا واحِداً
أَحظاهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ فَهوَ جَليسُها
I envied not the lovers except for one
Whom the Lord of the Throne made her companion
في مَجلِسٍ يَدَعُ الحَليمَ مُرَنِّحاً
سِيّانَ فيهِ لِحاظِها وَكُؤوسُها
In a gathering that makes the forbearing sigh
Two cups are equal for her- her glance and her cup
ما إِن رَأَتها مُهجَةٌ إِلّا فَدَت
ذاكَ المُحَيّا نَفسَها وَنَفيسِها
No enamored one saw her except she would give
That smooth-cheeked one her soul and her preciousness
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ وَهيَ ريمَةٌ رامَةٌ
تَعنو لَها غُلبُ الرِجالِ وَشوسُها
And of the wonders, she is shooting and bent
Her charm makes the boldness of men submissive
هِيَ جُؤذُرٍ وَلَكُم سَبَت مِن ضَيغَمِ
لا يَستَبيهِ مِنَ الجُيوشِ خَميسَها
She is a gazelle, and you have gained from Dhi Gham
One whom the best of armies cannot equal
جارَت عَلَيها وَهيَ بَعدَ ظُبَيَّةً
نَكباءُ تَصطَلِمُ الأُسودَ ضَروسُها
The lionesses attacked her and she was still a gazelle
Whose kicking hooves split the lions' heads
فَعَدا عَلَيها مُذ نُعومَةِ ظَفرِها
خَبَباً نَعيمَ الحادِثاتِ وَبَوسِها
Since the delicacy of her fingers' infancy
The delights of events have kissed her
بَعدَ القُصورِ العالِياتِ رَأَيتُها
في كَسرِ بَيتِ قَصرِها ناموسِها
After lofty palaces, I saw her
In the brokenness of her palace, its moth
بَعدَ الثَراءِ الجَمِّ حُلَّةً صانِعِ
وَلِكُلِّ حالٍ في الزَمانِ لَبوسِها
After abundant riches, wearing the mantle
Of the times in an ever-changing world
تَمضي لَها في الغَزلِ بيضُ أَنامِلٍ
ظَلَمَ الَّذي هُوَ بِالحَريرِ يَقيسُها
For her spins the white of dexterous fingers
Darker than silk its darkness measures her
القَطنُ يَهزَاُ بِالدَمَقسِ بِكَفِّها
وَالخَزُّ وَدَّ لَو أَنَّهُ مَلموسُها
Cotton teases her with its softness in her hand
And satin wished it could caress her skin
في الغَزلِ أَصبَحَ وَلَنا بِهِ
مُتَحَرِّكاً قَطَعَ تَيضقُ طُروسُها
Spinning has come alive for us through her
Cutting panels that pierce the breasts
يَرجو المُلوكَ نَظيرُها لِبَنيهِم
فَيَعودُ رَبُّ المُلوكِ وَهوَ يَئيسُها
Kings wish for her like her for their sons
But the Lord of Kings despairs her loss
اَحَبَبتُ عيسى وَالصَليبُ لِأَجلِها
حَتّى يَكادُ يَؤُمُّ بي قَسيسُها
I loved Jesus and the cross for her sake
Until her priest nearly converted me
وَأُخالِفُ الشَيخَ التَميمي الَّذي
ما كانَ يَطرَبُ سَمعُهُ نا قوسَها
And I opposed Shaykh Tamimi who
Was never aroused by the tunes of her strings
لَو كانَ شاهِدُ وَجهَها وَعَفافِها
مَعَ حُسنِها ما آدَّهُ تَقديسَها
Had he witnessed her face, her chastity
With her beauty, her devotion would not have led him
بَطَشَت بِنا وَهيَ الضَعيفُ بِذاتِها
بِطَشاتُ أَنوَرُ بِالعِداةِ يَدوسَها
She has assaulted us, though weak in herself
With assaults that tread the foe underfoot
هُوَ ذَلِكَ البَطَلُ الَّذي في ذِكرِهِ
أَبَداً يُضيءُ مِنَ الوُجوهِ عَبوسَها
That hero about whom, when mentioned
The gloomy faces are lit with joy
عادَت بِهِ الآمالُ سُعودُهُ مَوصولَةً
فيها تَغيبُ عَنِ الدِيارِ نُحوسَها
With him hopes returned, his good fortune unbroken
Through him the misfortunes vanished from the lands
وَأَراهُ كُلَّ الكاشِحينَ أَذِلَّةً
مَخفوضَةً بِذَرى عُلاهُ رُءوسَها
And I see all the arrogant ones humbled before him
Their heads bowed low beneath the dust of his shoes
