وناطقةٍ بالرّاءِ سَجْعاً مُرَدَّداً

كحُسْنِ خريرٍ من تكَسّرِ جَدْوَلِ

Speaking softly with recurring rhymes

Like the murmur of a brook over pebbles

مُغَرّدةٍ في القُضْبِ تحسَبُ جيدَها

مقلَّدَ طوْقٍ بالجمانِ المُفَصَّلِ

Warbling in the reeds, her necklace seeming

A collar adorned with threaded gems

إذا ما امّحى كُحلُ الدجى من جفونها

دَعَتْكَ إِلى كَأسِ الغَزالِ المُكَحَّلِ

When sleep's kohl fades from her eyes

She calls you to the gazelle's kohl-lined cup

مَلَأتُ لها كَفَّ الصبوحِ زُجاجةً

مُذَهِّبَةً بالرّاح فضّةَ أَنمُلِ

I filled for her the palm of dawn a flask

Gilded by the wind, silver fingernails

كَأَنَّ بَياضَ الصّبْحِ حُجَّةُ مُؤمنٍ

عَلَتْ من سوَادِ الليل حُجّةَ مبطلِ

As if the dawn's whiteness were proof of a believer

Rising above the dark's proof of denial

كأنّ شعاعَ الشمسِ في الأفقِ إذ جلتْ

به صدأ الإظلام مِدْوَس صَيْقَلِ

As if the sun's rays when it rose

Burnished away the rust of darkness

أَدِمْ لَذّةً ما مَتّعَتكَ بساعةٍ

وما دمتَ عن عرق بِغَيرِ تَرَحُّلِ

Keep relishing what delights you for an hour

As long as you move not from sweat to journey

فَما عيشَةُ الإِنسانِ صَفوٌ جميعُها

ولا آخرٌ من عمره نِدّ أوّلِ

For human life is not pure joy throughout

Nor is its end different from its start