وناهدةٍ تَرَّبَتْ كفُّها

ترائِبَها بِسَحيقِ العَبيرِ

A maiden nurtured, her palms were soft

Scented with ambergris and aloes wood

تصونُ على القطفِ رُمّانَةً

مِنَ النهدِ في غُصْنِ بانٍ نَضيرِ

Guarding upon a bough a pomegranate

Like a breast amid the branch of sal wood, peerless

لَها وَجنَةٌ صُقِلَتْ بِالنَّعيم

وناظرةٌ كُحِلَتْ بِالفتورِ

She has a cheek burnished with bliss

And a gaze lined with languor

وَتبسمُ عَن أَقحُوانٍ تُريكَ

على نَوْرِهِ الشمسُ إشراقَ نورِ

She smiles with lips that reveal to you

Upon their radiance the sun’s brilliance of light

كَأَنَّ غَدائِرها المُرسَلاتِ

أسَاوِدَ سابِحةٌ في غَديرِ

As if her loosened tresses

Were swimming sable waters in a pond

فَبِتُّ أُلاطفُ أخلاقَها

كما رُمْتُ تأنيسَ ظبيٍّ نَفورِ

So I spend the night gentling her moods

As I would tame a wild doe’s shyness

وما قهوةٌ صُفّقَتْ للصَّبوح

بِمِسكٍ ذَكِيٍّ وشَهْدٍ مَشورِ

Nor coffee spiced for the dawn

With musk and honey infusion

بِأَطيَبَ مِن فَمِها ريقَةً

إذا بَرَدَ الدُّرُّ فَوقَ النحورِ

As sweet as her saliva

When pearls chilled above the breasts