قَد أَغتَدي عَلى الجِيادِ الضُمَّرِ
وَالصُبحُ في طُرَّةِ لَيلٍ مُسفِرِ
I set out at dawn, when night’s veil lifted,
On steeds with folded wings, as if
كَأَنَّهُ غُرَّةُ مُهرٍ أَشقَرِ
وَالوَحشُ في أَوطانِها لَم تُعذَرِ
Ambergris-hued stallions, while the beasts
In their haunts were still unalarmed.
جَلا لَنا وَجهَ الثَرى عَن مَنظَرِ
كَالعَصبِ أَو كَالوَشيِ أَو كَالجَوهَرِ
The ground bared its cheek to us from a lovely
Appearance, like chrysolite, ruby or pearl,
مِن أَبيَضٍ وَأَحمَرٍ وَأَصفَرِ
وَطارِفٍ أَجفانَهُ لَم يَنظُرِ
White, red or yellow. A fawn whose eyelids
Had not looked on us, we started, whose mouth
تَشالُهُ العَينُ فَماً لَم يُفغَرِ
وَفاتِقٍ كادَ وَلَم يُنَوَّرِ
That my eye mates with has not unlocked,
A delicately slender one who almost shone,
كَأَنَّهُ مُبتَسِمٌ لَم يَكشِرِ
وَأَدمَعُ الغُدرانِ لَم تُكَدَّرِ
As if smiling but not laughing broadly,
Tears of perfidy not yet dirtied.
وَالرَوضُ مَغسولٌ بِلَيلٍ مُمطِرِ
كَأَنَّهُ دَراهِمٌ في مَنشَرِ
The meadow is washed by a rainy night,
As if dirhams strewn on a brocade cloth,
أَو كَتَفسيرِ مُصحَفٍ مُفَسَّرِ
وَالشَمسُ في إِصحاءِ جَوٍّ أَخضَرِ
Or like an elucidated Koran’s interpretation.
The sun in a verdant firmament
كَدَمعَةٍ جارِيَةٍ في مَحجِرِ
تُسقى عُقاراً كَالسِراجِ الأَزهَرِ
Is like a teardrop flowing in an eyelid,
Watering a grassland like an effulgent lamp,
مُدامَةً تَعقِرُ إِن لَم تُعقَرِ
تُديرُها كَفُّ غَزالٍ أَحوَرِ
Prodded persistently lest it turn refractory.
A roe-deer’s palm turns it round,
ذي طُرَّةٍ عاطِرَةٍ كَالعَنبَرِ
وَمَبسِمٍ يَكشِفُهُ عَن جَوهَرِ
With a fragrant forelock like ambergris
And a smile revealing its core,
وَكَفَلٍ بِسَفلِ فَضلِ المِئزَرِ
تُخبِرُ عَيناهُ بِعِشقٍ مُضمَرِ
And a mole beneath the outstanding merits.
Its eyes inform about a covert passion
يُعَلِّمُ الفُجورَ مَن لَم يَفجُرِ
وَيَذعَرُ الصَيدَ بِبازٍ أَقمَرِ
That teaches lechery to the inexperienced,
Startles the hunted prey with a full moon.
كَأَنَّهُ في جَوشَنٍ مُزَرَّرِ
ذي مُقلَةٍ تَسرَحُ فَوقَ المَحجَرِ
As if clad in flowery raiment,
With eyelashes promenading above the eyelids
كَأَنَّهُ رَقٌّ خَفِيُّ الأَسطُرِ
وَذَنَبٌ كَالمُنصُلِ المُذَكَّرِ
Like well-kept secrets in disguised lines,
A tail like a decorated sword.
