مِزَاجٌ رَقِيقٌ وَجِسْمٌ نَحِيفْ

وَقَلْبٌ رَفِيقٌ وَظِلٌّ خَفِيفْ

A gentle temperament and a slender body

And a kind heart and lightweight shadow

وَلفْظٌ لَعُوبٌ وَلَحْظٌ وَثُوبٌ

وَعَقْلٌ رَصِينٌ وَرَأْيٌ حَصِيفْ

Playful words and a glancing look and dress

Reasonable mind and judicious opinion

كَذَاكِ خُلِقْتِ فَكُنْتِ كَمَا

يَشَاءُ الصِّبا وَالضَّميرُ العَفِيفْ

Thus you were created, so you were as

The youthful breeze and the chaste conscience willed

وَلَمْ تَرْتَضِي الحُسْنَ إِلاَّ الصَّحِيحَ

وَلاَ الطَّبْعَ إِلاَّ الأَنِيسَ الأَلِيفْ

You never approved of anything but genuine beauty

Nor any nature but the most congenial and intimate

وَليْلَةِ بَدْرٍ صَفَا جَوُّهَا

وَبَاحَ بِسِرِّ السُّكونِ الحَفِيفْ

On a full moonlit night, its air purified

And the faint stillness whispered confidentialities

وَأَلْقَتْ بِسَمْعٍ ظِلاَلُ الريَا

ضِ لِنَجْوَى قُلوبٍ بِهِنَّ تُطِيفْ

The shadows of the sand dunes threw unto attentive hearts

That with tender affections are ever restless

وَصَبَّ عَلَى النيلِ شِبْهَ السُّيو

لِ مُنِيرُ الدُّجَى مِنْ سَنَاهُ الضَّعِيفْ

And upon the Nile was poured the semblance of swords

Illuminating the gloom, its weak blade shimmering

فَموَّجْنَهُ ثُمَّ ضَاحَكْنَهُ

وَجَارَيْنَهُ فِي دِعَابٍ لَطِيفْ

So we made it ripple, then laugh

And flow with us in gentle play

رَأَيْتُكِ خَلاَّبَةً لِلْعُقُو

لِ فِي مُتَجَلى سَنِيٍّ مُنِيفْ

I saw you a charmer of minds

Revealing longing in the smile of an affectionate elder

مُنىً وَمَعَانٍ أَبَى الحُسْنُ أَنْ

تُرَى فِي مِثَالِ التُّرَابِ الكَثِيفْ

Aspiration and meanings that beauty refused

To be seen in the form of dense dust

فَخَيَّلهَا البَدْرُ رُوحاً بَدَتْ

عَلَى البُعْدِ فِي حُلَّةٍ مِنْ شُفُوفْ

So the moon imagined it a spirit that appeared

In the distance, in a dress of thin fabrics

تَلُوحُ وَتَخْفي كَأَنَّ الأَشِعَّة

آناً مَرَاءٍ وَآناً سُجُوفْ

Appearing and disappearing as if the rays

Now deceit, and now sincerity

فَيُلْقِي شُعَاعٌ عَلَيْهَا نَصِيفاً

وَيَنْزِعُ آخرُ عَنْهَا النَّصيفْ

Thus a ray casts itself purely upon it

And another withdraws the purity from it