وكأنّها نونٌ تُمَطّ وعينها

ميمٌ لطولِ نحولها بالفدفدِ

Her eyes like the letter noon elongated

And like the letter meem bent with charm

كحلتْ جفونَ الصبح منها بالسرى

وتكحلتْ منه بلوْنِ الإثْمِدِ

She lined the dawn's eyes with kohl from her own

And lined hers with the kohl of misdeeds

فلجسمها والصبحُ يتبع نورَهُ

من جفنِ ليلتها انسلالُ المرودِ

So her body and the dawn follow the light

That slipped from her eyelids at night's reprieve

يا ليتها كانت سفينَةَ زاجرٍ

فتخوضَ بي مدّ العبابِ المزبدِ

If only she were a deterring sailor's ship

To sail me through the swelling foam and wave

فأرى ابن حمدانٍ ونورَ جبينه

يجلو سناهُ قذى جفون الأرْمَدِ

To see Ibn Hamdan and light of his brow

Illuming his years, the grit in red eyes enslaved