وَجَارِيَةٍ مثلَ شَمْسِ النَّهارِ

أو البدرِ بين النُّجومِ الدَّراري

A maiden like the sun at break of day

Or like the full moon amid stars that stray

أَتَتْكْ تَمِيْسُ بفَدِّ القَضِيْبِ

وترْنُو بعينِ مَهَاةِ القِفَارِ

Came to you, fondling with her dress's train

And glancing with the eyelids of disdain

وترفُلُ في مُصْمَتٍ أبْيَضٍ

تَلَوّنَ من خَدِّهَا الجُلَّنَارِي

Her cheeks were rosy red, in smiles she shone

Bearing a lute whose answer rang in tone

وتحمِلُ عوداً فَصيحَ الجوابِ

يشارِكُ أرواحَنا في المَجَارِي

With slender neck as a young maiden's arm

Its strings were where one wears a bracelet's charm

له عنقٌ كذراعِ الفتاةِ

وَدَسْتَانُهُ بمكانِ السِّوارِ

She played it with her right hand's gentle stroke

And with her left hand's delicate evoke

فجارَتْ عليه وجادَتْ له

بِعَسْفِ اليمينِ ولُطْفِ اليَسَارِ

She played it from noon's zenith till day was done

When she sang her farewell song I wept each one

وما أمْهَلَتْهُ ولا نَهْنَهَتْهُ

من الظهرِ حتى انقضاء النهار

And to a houri said, “If I've survived

Parting's farewell, meeting's joy has died.”

ولما تَغَنّتْ غِناءَ الوداعِ

بَكيْتُ وقلتُ لِبَعْضِ الجواري

لئن عشتُ عند هَزَارِ اللقاءِ

لقد مِتُّ عند هَزَارِ الإِزَارِ