أَسَألتَ مَغنَى دِمنَةٍ وَطُلولاَ

جَرَّت بها عُصُفُ الرِّياحِ ذُيولا

You asked about a singing slave girl whose trailing gowns

The winds had swept along in long trains,

قِطَعاً تَمُوجُ عَلَى المِتانِ بحاصِبٍ

مَوجَ الحَبَابِ وَعاصِفاً مَنخُولا

Breakers surging up over a smooth expanse of sand

With the swell of seas and a towering wave.

فَثَنَى عَلىّ صَبابةً عِرفَانُها

مِن بَعدِ ما هَمَّ الفُؤَادُ ذُهولا

She paid me thanks with a graceful inclination

After my heart had nearly swooned from fear.

وَلَقد رَأيتُ بِها أَوَانِسَ كالدُّمَى

يَرفُلنَ فى سَرَقِ الحرير فُضُولا

I saw damsels around her like shy gazelles,

Prance in silk raiment of varied hues.

ثُمَّ انتَحَينَ وَلَم يَقُلنَ ولو بنا

أَخلَينَ إِلاّ جَائزاً وَجَمِيلا

Then they turned away without saying, by my life,

Anything but “farewell” and words of kindness,

ظَلَّ الحَدِيثُ كما تَسَاقى رُفقَةٌ

صِرفاً مُشَعشَعضةَ الزُّجَاجِ شَمولا

The conversation flowed on smoothly like the passing round of a drinking bowl

With glittering facets in ever-changing hands,

شُمُساً يَدَعنَ ذَوِى الجَلادَةِ كُلُّهم

ذَرِفُ الفُؤادِ وما يَدِينَ قَتيلا

A sun others shunned, whose coldness left all hearts frozen,

My own heart melting without loss of life,

وَيرَينَ قَتلَ المُسلِمينَ بلا دَمٍ

حِلاًّ لَهُنَّ وَمَا طَلَبنض ذُحُولا

And seeing the killing of Muslims as lawful to them,

Seeking no blood-price or weregild.

طَرَقَت أُمَيمَةُ هائماً لَعِبَت بهِ

قُلُصٌ تَحَسَّفُ سَبسَباً مَجهولا

Umaymah strayed bewildered, toying with her,

An intriguing riddle, an obscure conundrum.

فَأرِقتُ لِلسَّارِى إِلىَّ وَلَم أَكُن

أَرِقاً وَلَم أَكُ لِلهُمومِ رَحيلا

So I was wakeful on her account though I had not been

Wakeful or inclined to long vigils before.

أَنّى اهتَدَيتِ وَلَم يَدَع نَأىُ الهَوَى

والكاشحونَ إِلى اللِّقَاءِ سَبِيلا

How did you find your way to me when desire's remoteness

Allowed no means for the eager to meet?

بَيضَاءُ قَلَّدَها النَّعيمُ شَبَابَهَا

رُوداً تَرَى فِى خَلقِهَا تَبتيلا

A fair one whose necklace of bliss hath conferred on her youth,

A neckring of pearl you would think was silver mixed with gold.

وكأَنَّ رَيّا مِن خُزامَى خالطت

رَيحَانَ رَوضِ قرَارةٍ مَوبولا

As if the morning air from Khuzam's valley had mingled

With the fragrance of a meadow filled with basil.

رَيّا أُمَيمَةً كُلَّما أَهدى لنا

نَسمُ الرِّياحِ مِنَ الجنوبِ أَصِيلا

Whenever the south wind brought us a scent from Umaymah

It was as if musk were mingled with cooling camphor.

عَن باردٍ عَذبِ اللِّثاتِ رُضابُهُ

كالعَذبِ خالطَ بارداً مَعسولا

With lips whose delicious wetness was like that of a cup

Where the pure liquid is tempered with chilled wine.