ولَيلٍ أشَبْنَا طُرَّتَيْهِ بِأَوجُهٍ
تُرِيكَ سَنَاهُنَّ الأَهِلَّةَ سُودَا
A night whose two side-locks we silvered with faces—
their radiance makes even crescent moons appear black to you.
وُجُوهٍ لو استَجْلَى سَنَاهُنَّ أكْمَهٌ
ثَنَى الطَّرفَ مَكْشُوفَ الغِطَاءِ جَدِيدا
Faces whose radiance, if one born blind sought illumination from it,
would return his gaze, its veil stripped away, renewed.
تلأْلأْنَ حَتَى لَمْ تَكَدْ لِضِيائِهَا
تَسُومُ إليْهِنَّ العُيُونُ صُعُودَا
They shimmered so brightly that, because of their splendor,
eyes could scarcely attempt the ascent toward them.
تأنَّقَ ربُّ الحُسْنِ فيهَا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ
لِيَتركَ منْها ما يزيدُ مَزيدا
The Lord of Beauty wrought them exquisitely, leaving in them
nothing that any further addition could enhance.
ويومٍ ثَنَينَا طُرَّتَيهِ على صَفاً
يُعيدُ لِمَعْدومِ الحَيَاةِ وُجُودا
And a day whose two edges we folded together upon a smooth rock,
restoring existence to one bereft of life.
تَكنَّفَنا فِيهِ قِيانٌ كَأنَّما
ضَرَبْنَ لأوقَاتِ السُّرُورِ وعُودَا
Singing-girls surrounded us during it, as though
they had made appointments with the hours of delight.
بَسَمنَ وأسْبَلْنَ العُقُودَ فقَابلتْ
عقُودُ ثَنَايَاهَا العِذَاب عُقُودا
They smiled and cast off their necklaces; facing them were
the rows of their sweet front teeth—necklace against necklace.
وحَلَّينَ بالورْدِ الخُدُودَ وإنَّمَا
وَلِعْنَ بأنْ تلقَى الوُرُودُ ورُودَا
They adorned their cheeks with roses, solely
from a longing to have roses meet roses.
وغشَّيْنَ بالوَشْيِ الجسُومَ وإنَّمَا
سَدَلْنَ على ذَوْبِ النُّضَارِ بُرُودَا
They veiled their bodies in brocade, though in truth
they merely draped robes over molten gold.
فيَالَكَ يَوْماً لَو أشَارَ بَيَمْنِهِ
لأيَّامِ عَادٍ لانْقَلَبْنَ سُعُودَا
Ah, what a day! Had it gestured with its right hand
toward the days of ʿĀd, they would surely have turned auspicious.
Sol 5.6