وَرَوضَةٍ زُرتُها وَالحِميريُّ مَعي

وَصارِمٌ خَذِمُ الغَربَينِ وَالفَرَسُ

I visited a garden, and Al-Himyari was with me,

Bearing a sharp sword with a curved blade and horsewhip.

وَفي المَباسِمِ مِن أَنوارِها شَنَبٌ

وَفي شِفاهِ الرُّبا مِن زَهرِها لَعَسُ

In her smiles were lights, like the moustache of a youth,

And in the folds of her lips were blossoms like chamomile.

وَالغَيمُ لَم يُذرِ دَمعاً كادَ يَسفَحُهُ

بِها وَها هُوَ في جَفنَيهِ مُحتَبِسُ

The clouds did not shed the tears they were about to pour down,

Though they were pent up in their eyelids.

فانعم هُذَيمُ بِعَيشٍ طابَ مَشرَعُهُ

وابلُغ بِهِ بَعضَ ما تَهوى وَتَلتَمِسُ

So Hudhaym enjoyed a life whose sail was spread,

And attained some of what he loved and sought.

وَخالِسِ الدَّهرَ يَوماً صالِحاً غَفَلَتْ

عَنهُ الخُطوبُ فأَوقاتُ الفَتى خُلَسُ

And he passed a day free of sorrows, unnoticed by misfortunes,

So the days of the youth slipped away.