جَفنٌ تَجافى لِلخَلِيِّ عَنِ الكَرى

وَهَوىً تَهاوى بِالمَطِيّ عَلى السُرى

A lid that spurns the friend, turns away,

A passion that dives with longing astray,

وَمُثَقَّفٌ لَدنُ المَهَزِّ يَشوقُهُ

ما شاقَني فَإِذا هَزَزتُ تَأَطَّرا

Refined by the caregiver's touch, desiring,

No harm befell me, though shaken I sway,

وَقَدِ اِشتَبَهنا سُمرَةً وَنَحافَةً

فَلَوِ اِلتَفَتُّ لَما عَرَفتُ الأَسمَرا

We matched in dusk and slenderness alike,

If I turned, I wouldn't discern the dark gray,

وَأَقَبُّ يَحتَمِلُ الصَباحَ إِذا مَشى

شِيَةً وَيَنتَعِلُ الرِياحَ إِذا جَرى

I tread, fearing the morn should it tread,

And barefoot when zephyrs whirl and play,

قَد باتَ يَحمِلُ لِبدُهُ ظَبيَ النَقا

رَكضاً وَيَحمِلُ لِبدُهُ لَيثَ الشَرى

Through night he carried his innards' gazelle,

And his innards' lion in gallop and fray,

وَحَثا التُرابَ عَلى الصَبا فَكَأَنَّما

أَزجى هُناكَ غَمامَةً بَرقٌ سَرى

The dust he hastened on youths lo! As if

He thundered afar clouds, lightning portray,

وَاِستَرجَفَ الأَرضَ الفَضاءَ بِوَثبَةٍ

فَكَأَنَّ رُكناً خَرَّ فيها مِن حِرا

The bare earth he shook with a leap then as if,

A firm mountain therefrom crumbled away,

مَزَّقتُ مِن خِلَعِ العَجاجَةِ فَوقَهُ

ثَوباً بِأَطرافِ الرِماحِ مُدَنَّرا

With spear-tips from steed-armor shreds I tore,

A robe blood-spattered in fervor of fray,

وَصَرَختُ يالَبَني رَحيمٍ صَرخَةً

فَاِلتَفَّتِ الأَنجادُ حَولي عَسكَرا

I shouted “O kin of Rahim!” a shout,

The regiments around me array,

مِن كُلِّ طَلقِ الوَجهِ تاهَ جَوادُهُ

زَهواً بِعِزَّةِ رَبِّهِ فَتَبَختَرا

From his face's horizons his steed wandered drunk,

With the pride of its Lord, prancing in gray,

صَلَتِ الجَبينِ لَو أَنَّني مُستَقبِلٌ

بِرُوائِهِ لَيلَ السِرارِ لَأَقمَرا

If I met its forehead in night's secrets,

I'd kneel over it kissing, pure as day,

ما إِن سَقَتكَ بِهِ السَماحَةُ مُزنَةً

إِلّا أَرَتكَ بِهِ الصَباحَةُ نَيِّرا

When kindness offered you sorrow therein,

Dawn with its light made it cheerful and gay,

وَأَغَرَّ أَزهَرَ باتَ يَعبَقُ نَفحَةً

فَكَأَنَّ في بُردَيهِ رَوضاً أَزهَرا

And the bloom that fragrantly breathed through night,

Seemed a garden still dewy its bouquet,

طَلقَ المُحَيّا وَاليَدَينِ كَأَنَّهُ

قَمَرٌ تَطَلَّعَ في غَمامٍ أَمطَرا

Your smile shone like the moon peeking out

Of drizzling clouds, hands radiant as day,

لَبِسَ الرِداءَ مِنَ الثَناءِ مُطَرَّزاً

فَوقَ القَميصِ مِنَ الحَياءِ مُعَصفَرا

You wore the cloak of glory embroidered,

Over the shirt of shyness lemon-array,

اِستَمجَدَ الأَشرافُ مِن شَرَفٍ بِهِ

فَمَشى اليَراعُ بِكَفِّهِ مُتَبَختِرا

Nobles boasted of glory through you,

And the rabble walked proudly astray,

فَلَرُبَّ سَمراءِ الأَديمِ طَويلَةٍ

حَسَدَت بِراحَتِهِ القَصيرَ الأَصفَرا

Many a swarthy, tall, skinny female

Envied you, diminutive, yellow, and gray,

وَإِلَيكَها فَاِهنَأ بِها مِن مِدحَةٍ

أَهدَيتُها رَوضاً إِلَيكَ مُنَوَّرا

To her this ode's gift, a garden for you

With eulogy's light effulgently gay,

فَتَلَألَأَت حُسناً بِمَجدِكَ حُلَّةً

وَتَنَفَّسَت طيباً بِحَمدِكَ مُجمَرا

In your glory her dress now shimmers bright,

And your praise makes her incense-sweet as day,

وَسِوايَ يَكذِبُ في سِواها مِدحَةً

فَاِرغَب بِسَمعِكَ عَن حَديثٍ يُفتَرى

But others lie in their praise, so turn

Your hearing from fabricated display!