خَمسٌ دَسَسنَ إِليَّ في لَطَفٍ

حُورُ العيونِ نَواعِمٌ زُهرُ

Five beauties glanced at me with gentleness

Maidens with gazelle eyes, delicate as flowers

فَطَرَقتُهُنَّ مَعَ الجريِّ وَقَد

نامَ الرَقيبُ وَحَلَّقَ النَسرُ

I approached them as they walked, while

The guard slept and the eagle circled

مُستَبطِناً لِلحَيِّ إِذ فَزِعوا

عَضباً يَلوحُ بِمَتنِهِ أَثرُ

Hiding in the thicket, they were startled

Angrily brandishing his staff, a guard appeared

فَعَكَفنَ لَيلَتَهُنَّ ناعِمَةً

ثُمَّ استَفَقنَ وَقَد بَدا الفَجرُ

They spent the night gracefully reclining

Then awoke at dawn

بِأَشَمَّ مَعسولٍ فُكاهَتُهُ

غَضَّ الشَبابِ رِداؤُهُ غَمرُ

With the sweetest honeyed smile that dimmed

The radiance of youth, their gowns flowing

زَولٌ بَعيدُ الصِيتِ مُشتَهِرٌ

جابَت لَهُ جَيبَ الدُجى عَمرُ

A far famed charmer, renowned

The night revealed to him its secrets

قامَت تُخاصِرُهُ لِكِلَّتِها

تَمشي تأَوَّدُ غادَةٌ بِكرُ

She came up to converse with him, swaying coquettishly

Walking gently, a chaste maiden

فَتَنازَعا مِن دونِ نِسوَتِها

كَلِماً يُسَرُّ كَأَنَّهُ سِحرُ

They conversed intimately beyond their companions

With words that delighted, as if it were magic

كُلٌّ يَرى أَنَّ الشَبابَ لَهُ

في كُلِّ غايَةِ صَبوَةٍ عُذرُ

Each saw that youth was theirs

In every impulse of passionate youth, an excuse

سَيفانَةٌ أشَرُ الشَبابِ بِها

رَقراقَةٌ لَم يُبلِها الدَهرُ

A coyness, the most alluring of youthful charms

Untouched by time, radiant

حَتّى إِذا أَبدى هَواهُ لَها

وَبَدا هَواها ما لَهُ سِترُ

Until he revealed his love for her

And her love for him was uncovered, no more concealed

سَفَرَت وَما سَفَرَت لِمَعرِفَةٍ

وَجهاً أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّهُ البَدرُ

She traveled, though not to get acquainted

With a face more lovely than the full moon