وَقَسرِيَّةٍ أَبصَرتُها فَهَوَيتُها

هَوى عُروَةَ العُذرِيَّ وَالعاشِقِ النَجدي

I saw a maiden of the Palace and fell in love with her,

With the passion of Urwa the Udhri and the lover from Nejd.

فَلَمّا تَمادى هَجرُها قُلتُ واصِلي

فَقالَت بِهَذا الوَجهَ تَرجو الهَوى عِندي

When her shunning persisted, I pleaded: "Grant me union!"

She replied: "With a face like that, do you hope for love from me?"

فَقُلتُ لَها لَو كانَ في السوقِ أَوجُهٌ

تُباعُ بِنَقدٍ حاضِرٍ وَسِوى نَقدِ

I said to her: "If faces were available in the marketplace,

To be sold for ready cash or even on credit,

لَغَيَّرتُ وَجهي وَاشتَرَيتُ مَكانَهُ

لَعَلَّكِ أَن تَهوَي وِصالِيَ مِن بَعدِ

I would have changed my face and bought another in its stead,

Hoping that perhaps, afterwards, you might desire my company.

وَإِن كُنتُ ذا قُبحٍ فَإِنِّيَ شاعِرٌ

فَقالَت وَلَو أَصبَحتَ نابِغَةَ الجَعدي

And though I may be ugly, I am indeed a poet."

She retorted: "Even if you became Al-Nabigha Al-Ja'di!"