مَرَرتُ عَلى ذاتِ الأَبارِقِ مَوهِناً

فَعارَضَني بيضُ التَّرائِبِ غيدُ

I passed by the one with flashing lightnings humbled,

As the whiteness of the carpets opposed me.

وَقَد أَشرَقَتْ مَصقولَةً بيَدِ الصِّبا

وُجوهٌ عَلَيها نَضرَةٌ وَخُدودُ

Faces shone polished by the hand of the morning breeze,

With freshness upon them and cheeks reddened.

وَأَلقَتْ قِناعَ الفَجرِ قَبلَ أَوانِهِ

فَهبَّ حَمامُ الأَيكِ وَهيَ هُجودُ

She cast off the veil of dawn before its time,

So the doves of the thorn-trees fluttered and cooed.

وَأَبصَرتُ أَدنى صاحِبيَّ يَهُزُّهُ

عَلى طَرَبٍ مِيلُ السَّوالِفِ قُودُ

I saw my companion swaying,

Led by the bent of conversation and its cord.

فَمالَ وَأَبكاهُ الغَرامُ كَأَنَّهُ

عَلى الكورِ غُصنٌ ريحَ وَهوَ مَجودُ

Love made him lean and weep as if

He were a bending branch in the wind.

فَقالَ تَرى يا بْنَ الأَكارِمِ ما أَرى

أَلاحَ ثُغورٌ أَم أَضاءَ عُقودُ

He said, "Do you see, O son of nobles, what I see?

Have watchfires blazed or necklaces shone?"

فَقُلتُ لَهُ نَهنِهْ دُموعَكَ إِنَّها

ظِباءٌ حَمى أَسْرابَهُنَّ أُسودُ

I said to him, "Hush your tears which are

Wild cows whose herdsman is black."

هَبِ القُرَشِيَّ اِعتادَهُ لاعِجُ الهَوى

وَمادَ فَما لِلعامِريِّ يَمييدُ

Rise, O Qurashi, prepare your camels, passion is not stilled

And the mouth of el 'Amiri shall not cease its praise.

رَنا نَحوَها طَرْفي وَقَلبي كِلاهُما

فَلَم أَدرِ أَيَّ النَّاظِرَينِ أَذودُ

I turned my eyes and heart towards her, both

And I knew not which of the two gazed more intensely,

لَئِن نَشَبَت مِن سِربِها في حِبالَتي

مَليحَةُ ما وارى البَراقَعُ رودُ

If one of her arrows lodges in my ribs

What the curtains conceal will not be concealed,

فَإِنّي وَحُبِّيها أَليَّةَ عاشِقٍ

يَبَرُّ التُّقى أَيمانَهُ لَصَيودُ

For I and my love for her, a passionate lover,

Are evidence enough, though I swear no oaths.