بِأبِي الظِّبَاء الفَاتِرَاتِ جُفُونَا
الفَاتِكَاتِ سَوَالِفًا وَعُيُونَا
With the languid gazelles whose eyelids are weary,
The fatal ones conversing softly with downcast eyes,
المُطْلِعَاتِ مِنَ الثغُورِ كَوَاكبًا
المُسْبِلاَتِ مِنَ الشُّعُورِ دُجُونَا
The stars rising from the passes like planets,
Our love kindling from the hair like flames.
النَّافِرَاتِ تَدَلُّلاً وَصيَانَةً
الآنِسَاتِ تَوَدُّدًا وَمُجَونَا
Coyly glancing, proudly stepping,
Moons traveling, branches swaying.
الرَّاشِقَاتِ مِنَ اللَّواَحِظِ أسْهُمًا
المُرْسِلاَتِ إلَى الْقُلُوبِ مَنُونَا
When they shake their sleeves no bodies between them
Only a wounded one would be seen leaning.
سَفَرُوا وَقَدْ صبغَ الْحَيَاءُ خُدُودَهم
أرَأيْتَ وَرْداً خَالط النِّسرينَا
Black of eyes not darkened with kohl,
True beauty needs no adorning.
وَنَفَرْنَ غِزْلاَنًا وَتِهْنَ غَوَانِيًا
وَسَفَرْنَ أقْمَارا وَمِلْنَ غُصُونَا
O you who blame, be gentle in reproving,
Have mercy on a love-sick soul, confounded.
غِيدٌ إذَا هَزُّوا المَعَاطِفَ لَنْ ترى
إلاَّ صريعًا بَيْنَهُنَّ طَعِينَا
For I who chose love and passion as my creed,
And law for lovers whosoever yearned.
سُودُ النَّوَاظرِ مَا اكْتَحَلْنَ بِإثْمِدٍ
وَالحُسْنُ حَقًا يَغْلِبُ التَّحْسينَا
The sickness of her eyelids, her glance is sorcery,
Awakening in your heart a hidden fire.
يَا لاَئِمًا قَدْ جَارَ فِي تَعْنِيفِهِ
هَلاَّ رحمتَ مُتَيَّمًا مفتُونَا
Her cheeks once bloodied by injustice
Are now serene, their grievances redressed.
فَأنَا الَّذِي اتَّخَذَ المَحَبَّةَ وَالهوَى
شَرْعاً لأرْبَابِ الْرَام وَدِينَا
Love of her movements stirred a heart
That once was still, unto trembling.
وَمَرِيضَةِ الأجْفَانِ سَاحِرُ لحظهَا
يُنْبِيكَ عَمَّا فِي الفُؤَادِ كَمِينَا
When she sways, spear-shafts are her limbs,
When she sings, swords sleep in their sheaths.
مِنْ طرفِهَا السَّفَّاحِ أصبَحَ خَدُّهَا الْ
هَادِي يُرَى نُعْمَانُهُ مَأمُونَا
A sun whose rising crescent bowed down reverently
And now resembles one who limps.
مَعْشُوقَةِ الحَرَكَاتِ حَرَّك قَدُّهَا
قَلْبًا إلَيْهَا كَانَ قَبْلُ سَكُونَا
The branch sang melodiously when she bent,
Its rhythm moved the heart to harmony.
وَإذَا انْثَنَتْ خِلْتَ الرّمَاحَ مَعَاطفا
وَإذَا رَنَتْ خِلْتَ السُّيُوفَ جُفُونَا
Ask not where her tent is if you seek her,
But look to where beauty is guarded.
شَمْسٌ لطلعتهَا الهلاَلُ قَد انْحَنَى
أدَباً فأصبح يُشْبِهُ العُرْجُونَا
And if you wish to see the crescent of her forehead,
Look to where the dawn is shining clear.
الوُرْقُ غَنَّتْ إذْ تَثَنَّى قَدُّهَا
طَرَبًا فَأعْرَبَ لَحْنُهُ التلحينَا
لاَ تَسْألَنَّ إذَا قَصَدْتَ خِيَامَهَا
وَاقصدْ لحيثُ تَرَى الجَمَالَ مَصُونَا
وَإذَا أرَدْتَ تَرَى هِلاَلَ جَبِينِهَا
فَانْظُرْ إلَى حَيْثُ الصَّبَاح مُبِينَا
