وَشَادنٍ تَمَّ حُسْناً وَانْثَنَى هَيَفًا

فَأخْجَلَ الظَّبيَ وَالأقْمَارَ وَالبَانَا

Shada blossomed into perfection and bent gracefully,

Outshining the gazelle, the moon, and the bright one.

لَمْ أدْرِ أنَّ عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ بُسْتَانًا

حَتَّى أبَانَ مِنَ الأعْطَافِ أغْصَانَا

I did not know his cheeks were a garden,

Until branches peeked out from his sleeves.

وَلَمْ أصَدّقْ بِدَعْوَى سحرِ نَاظِرِهِ

حَتى أرَانِيَ حَبْلَ الشَّعْرِ ثُعْبَانَا

I did not believe the claim of his amorous glance’s sorcery,

Until his locks showed me they were snakes.

وَمَا تَحَقَّقْتُ أنَّ الْخَمْرَ رِيقَتُهُ

حَتَّى تَمَايَلَ فِي بُرْدَيْهِ نَشْوَانَا

I did not realize the wine was his saliva,

Until intoxication swayed in his cloak.

ظَبْيٌ تَرَكَّتَ من غُصْنٍ وَمِنْ قمرٍ

يَا كَيْفَ حَتَّى بَدَا للعين إنْسَانَا

A gazelle left behind a branch and a moon,

Oh how did a human appear to the eye?

أحْوَى اللَّوَاحِظِ مَعْسُولَ اللَّمَى قمراً

حلُوَ الشَّمَائِل زَاهي الخَدّ وَسْنَانَا

He lodged a sweet, limpid moon in my heart,

Fair of traits, radiant of cheek, with bright teeth.

مُوَرَّدُ الخَدّ مَا اخْضَرَّتْ غدَائِرُهُ

الاّ اكْتَسَى الروضُ مِنْ خَدَّيْهِ ألْوَانَا

When his verdant sidelocks curled,

The meadow was colored by his cheeks.

ولا أرانَا رِيَاضَ الحسنِ وَاضِحَةً

الاَّ وَأرْسَلْتُ مِنْ عَيْنَيَّ غُدْرَانَا

I saw the gardens of beauty clearly,

Only to let tears flow from my eyes.

مُكَعَّبُ النهدِ مَا مَالَتْ مَعَاطِفُهُ

الاَّ أرَاكَ عَلَى الخَيْزُورِ رُمَّانَا

His breast mounds peeked out from his robes,

Revealing you atop the pillows like a pomegranate.

وَلاَ نَمَا فِي أسِيلِ الخَدّ عَارِضُهُ

الا وَأنْبَتَ فَوْقَ الْخَدّ رَيْحَانَا

When his cheek down grew,

It sprouted basil above his cheek.

لَوْ كَانَ لِلشَّمْسِ جُزْءٌ من محَاسنهِ

مَا أطْلَعَ اللَّيْلُ فِي الآفَاقِ شُهْبَانَا

If the sun had any of his beauty,

It would not let the night’s shooting stars appear.

أوْ كَانَ لِلرَّوْضِ وَرْدٌ مِثْلُ وجْنتهِ

لَخِلْتُ فِيهِ سَوَادَ الهُدْب خِيلاَنَا

If the meadow had roses like his cheeks,

I would rid it of the darkness of black hyacinths.

وَلَوْ سقي الصَّلْدَ مِنْ جِرْيَالِ رِيقَتِهِ

لأنْبَتَ الصَّلدُ نِسْرِينًا وَسُوسَانَا

If barren land was watered by his saliva,

It would grow narcissus and lilies.

يَقُولُ قَلْبِي لِعَيْنِي عِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِهِ

جَلَّ الَّذِي صَاغَهُ للعينِ إنْسَانَا

My heart says to my eye when seeing him:

Exalted is He who created such a human for the eye!