وَمُهَفهَفٍ عَبَثَ الشَّمولُ بِقَدِّهِ

عَبَثَ الفُتورِ بِلَحظِهِ الوسنانِ

The boredom played with his laziness,

And his drowsiness toyed with his gaze,

عَضّت خَلاخِلُه وَجَالَ وِشَاحُهُ

وَلَوَى مآزِرَهُ عَلَى كُثبانِ

His anklets rattled as he swayed,

And his scarf coiled over the dunes,

ما كنتُ أَحسِبُ قبلَ رُؤشَةِ وَجهِهِ

أنَّ البدورَ تدورُ في الأغصانِ

Before I saw the radiance of his face,

I did not think the full moons spun in the branches,

غازَلتُهُ حَتّى بدا لي ثَغرُهُ

فحسِبتُه دُرّاً عَلَى مَرجانِ

I flirted with him until his mouth appeared,

And I mistook him for a pearl on coral,

كم ليلةٍ عانقتُه فكأنَّما

عانقتُ من عِطفيهِ غُصنَ البانِ

How many nights did I embrace him, as though

I embraced from his arm the branch of a willow,

يَطغى ويلعبُ عند عقدِ سواعدي

كالمُهرِ يلعبُ عِندَ ثَني عِنان

He frolics and plays at my wrists' knot,

Like a stallion playing at the bend of the rein.