كأَنَّما المَوْزُ في عَراجِنهِ

وَقَد بَدا يَانِعاً على شَجَرِه

As though the bananas in their bunches

Have begun to ripen on their trees

فُروعُ شَعْرٍ بِرَأْسِ غَانِيةٍ

عُقِصْنَ من بَعدِ ضَمِّ مُنتَشَرِه

Branches of hair on a singing head

Were trimmed after being left spreading

كَأَنَّ مَن ضَمَّهُ وَعَقَّصَهُ

أَرَسَلَ شُرَّابَةً على أَثَرِه

It's as though whoever gathered and trimmed them

Sent a drink after them

وفي اعتِدالِ الخَرِيفِ أَحسنُ ما

يُرْ قِلُ مِثلَ الرَّداحِ في أُزُرِه

And in the moderation of autumn is the best

Of what can be gently moved like a cradle in its wrap

كَأَنَّ أَشجارَهُ وقد نُشِرَتْ

ظِلالُ أَوراقهِ على ثَمَرِه

It's as though its trees when they were spread out

The shadows of its leaves on its fruit

حَامِلَةٌ طِفلَها على يَدِها

تُظلُّهُ بالخِمارِ من شَعَرِه

Bearing her child in her hand

Shading him with the veil of her hair

كَأَنمَّا ساقَهُ الصَّقِيلُ وقد

بَدَتْ عليهِ نُقوشُ مُعتَبرِه

It's as though its smooth trunk when

Its engravings appeared on it

سَاقُ عَروسٍ أُمِيطَ مِئزرُها

فَبانَ وَشيء الخِضابِ في حِبَرِه

The leg of a bride whose wrap was removed

So the dye staining its inscription appeared

تُصاغُ مِن جَدْوَلٍ خَلاخِلُها

فَينجلي والنِّثارُ من زَهَرِه

Braided from a rivulet its anklets

So it clears and the petals blow from its flowers

حَدائِقٌ خَفَّقَتْ سَناجِقُها

كأَنّهُ الجَيشُ أمَّ في زُمَرِه

Gardens shook their palm trees

As though it were the army or in its groups

زَهَا فَراقَ العُيونَ مَنظرُهُ

فَما تَمَلُّ العُيونُ من نَظَرِه

Its sight never satisfied the eyes from looking at it

And all its signs are dazzling

وكلُّ آياتهِ فَباهِرَةٌ

تَبِينُ في وِرْدِهِ وفي صَدَرِه

That show in its roses and in its chest

It's as though its short life narrated

كأَنمَّا عُمْرُهُ القَصِيرُ حَكَى

زَمانَ وَصْلِ الحَبِيبِ في قِصَرِه

The era of union with the beloved in her palace

It's as though its crab-apples old age came

كأَنَّ عُرْجُونَهُ المَشيبُ أَتى

يُخبِرُ أَنْ خانَهُ انقِضَا عُمْرِه

Informing that his life had passed fleeting by

It's as though it is the full moon in perfection

كأَنَّهُ البَدرُ في الكمالِ وقد

أُصِيبَ بِالخَسْفِ في سَنَا قَمرِه

Struck by eclipse in the prosperity of its moonlight

It's as though after its cutting it yellowed

كأَنَّهُ بَعدَ قَطعِهِ وقد اصفَـ

ـرَّ لِمَا نَالَ مِن أَذَى حجرِه

For what it received from the harm of its stone

A desperate lover whom longing melted

مُتيَّمٌ قد أَذابَهُ كَمَدٌ

يَبِيتُ مِن وَجْدِهِ على خَطَرِه

Spending the night in ecstasy on the verge of danger

Suspended in hope its appearance

مُعَلَّقٌ بِالرَّجاءِ ظاهِرُهُ

يُخبِرُ عَمَّا أَجَنَّ مِن خَبرِه

Informs of the news it harvested

It smells sweet and its fruit is delicious

يَطِيبُ رِيحاً ويُستلَذُّ جنىً

على أَذىً زادَ فَوقَ مُصطَبِرِه

Over harm that increased over its endurance

It's as though it is the freeman in his plight

كأَنّهُ الحُرُّ حالَ مِحنتِهِ

يَزيدُ صَبْراً على أَذَى ضَرَرِه

Increasing in patience over the harm of his condition