ويْلي على مملوكةٍ مَلَكَتْ

رقّي بحُسْنِ مَقالها وَيْلي

Woe to me for a slave girl who has enslaved me

With the charm of her speech, woe to me!

غَيداءُ تَسحَبُ كُلَّما انعَطَفَتْ

مِنْ فرْعها ذيلاً على الذيلِ

A slender and supple one who sways

With every turn, her train upon her train

وكأنّها شمسٌ على غُصُنٍ

مترنّحَ التقويمِ والميلِ

As though she were a sun upon a bough

That sways gently to and fro

قالَتْ وَقَد عانَقتُها سَحَراً

لِمْ زُرْتَنا في آخِرِ الليلِ

She said, as I embraced her at dawn:

“Why have you come to us so late at night?”

فأجبتُها وغمرتُها قُبَلاً

هذا أوانُ إغارةِ الخيلِ

I answered and showered her with kisses:

“This is the hour for raiding on horseback!”

حتَّى إذا بَزَغَتْ شبِيهَتُها

كالتاجِ فوْقَ مفارقِ القيلِ

Until her likeness dawned,

Like a crown above the parting of the hair,

نزَعتْ كنزْع الروح من جسدي

عنّى قلادةَ ساعدٍ غَيْلِ

She removed me, as the soul is removed from the body,

The bracelet from my wrist.

فنهضتُ أشرَقُ بالدموعِ كما

شَرِقَ الفضاء بكثرةِ السيلِ

So I rose, my tears flowing

As copiously as torrents in the valley flow.