لا تَحسِبي سَباسِبَ العِراقِ

وَنَغَضانَ القُلُصِ المَناقي

Do not suppose the pleasure palaces of Iraq,

Nor its slender-waisted lovelies with eyes like gazelles,

كَأَنَّما يَرقَينَ في مَراقي

نَومَ الضُحى واضِعَةَ الرِواقِ

Languorous as they recline at dawn's break to rest,

Languid with drowsiness in the arcades;

هانَ عَلى ذاتِ الحَشا الخَفّاقِ

ما لَقِيَت نَفسي مِنَ الإِشفاقِ

Little the wild deer cares for the network snare.

Nor have I in my soul met with compassion,

وَما تُلاقي قَدَمي وَساقي

مِنَ الحَفا وَعَدَمِ السُواقِ

And my feet and my legs encounter not

Care for me nor guard against peril-

جارِيَةٌ مِن ساكِني الأَسواقِ

لَبّاسَةٌ لِلقُمُصِ الرِقاقِ

A girl of the common people of the market stalls,

Clad for her master in gossamer thin silks.

أَبغَضُ ثَوبَيها إِلَيها الباقي

تَأكُلُ مِن كيسِ اِمرِئٍ وَرّاقِ

To her what remains of her garments is hateful.

She feeds out of the purse of a fanciful, extravagant man,

قَد وَثِقَت إِن ماتَ بِالنَفاقِ

فَهوَ عَلَيها هَيِّنُ الفِراقِ

Certain that, should he pass away in hypocrisy,

Parting with him would be easy for her.

تَضحَكُ عَن ذي أُشُرٍ بَرّاقِ

كَالأُقحُوانِ اِهتَزَّ في البِراقِ

She laughs loudly in the face of a rascally dotard,

Bobbing like a float that danced about wildly in the sea.