دَنِفٌ قَضى عِزُّ الجَمالِ بِهونِهِ

فَقَضى أَسىً قَبلَ اِقتِضاء دُيونِهِ

The youth's beauty has faded with time's passage,

Bringing sorrow before debts are due.

وَأَغَرَّ تَتلو الفَجرَ غُرَّتُهُ كَما

تَتلو لِقَلبي فاطِراً بِجُفونِهِ

Dawn's cheek blushed as it followed night,

Just as my heart flushed when gazed on by his eyes.

هُوَ لِلغَرابَةِ في الجَمالِ عَرابَةٌ

أَخَذَ المَحاسِنَ رايَةً بِيَمينِهِ

In beauty he surpassed all with gracefulness,

Grasping perfection's banner in his right hand.

حَلَّيتُ شِعري مِن بَديعِ صِفاتِهِ

بِطَلاوَةٍ تُغنيهِ عَن تَلحينِهِ

I adorned my poetry with his noble qualities,

Sweetening it beyond any need for melody.

في خَدِّ موسى نَقطُ خالٍ رائِقٍ

نَورُ العِذارِ مُحَلَّأٌ مِن نونِهِ

On Moses' cheek, a charming beauty-mark

Illuminates his bashfulness with its glow.

فَتَرى صَحيفَةَ كاتِبٍ مُتَماجِنٍ

قَد خَطَّ قَبلَ النونِ نُقطَةَ نونِهِ

You'd think a scribe's negligent pen

Dotted a nun before the one in "nun".

يَجري بِفيِهِ كَوثَرٌ في جَوهَرٍ

أَرخَصتُ جَوهَرَ أَدمُعي لِثَمينِهِ

His mouth pours forth pure wine,

I paid my tears, pearls beyond price for it.

آهاً لِلُؤلُؤِ ثَغرِهِ هَل يَشتَفي

مَكنونُ ذاكَ الشَوقِ مِن مَكنونِهِ

Ah, if only his lips' pearls might quench

The yearning hidden away in their treasure!

إِن رُمتُ مِنهُ الوَصلَ فِعلاً حاضِراً

أَومَت لِلاِستِئنافِ سينُ جَبينِهِ

If I'm denied his company while living,

My longing for reunion will dot his forehead.