وَزِنْجِيَّةٍ حَسْنَاءَ كَالمِسْكِ لَوْنُهَا

بَدَا قَدهَا كَالسَّمْهَرِيِّ المُقَوَّمِ

And a lovely Black woman, her color like musk,

her figure rose like a straight, well-fashioned Samhari spear.

مُجَرَّدَةُ السَّاقَينِ وَالنَّهْدِ بَارِزٌ

تُريكَ الهَوَى مِنْ ثَغْرِهَا المْتبَسِمِ

Her legs were bare, and her breast stood prominent,

showing you desire through her smiling mouth.

طَوَتْ يَدَهَا اليُمْنَى لِتَسْنِدَ خَصْرَهَا

بِبُرْدٍ لَيِّنٍ لَفَّ مُحْرِمِ

She bent her right arm to brace her waist

with a soft mantle—the wrap of one in ritual consecration.

تَلَقَّى لَهَا إِلياسُ بِالأَمْسِ صُورَةً

تَكَادُ تُريِهِ رَوْعَةَ اللَّحْمِ وَالدَّمِ

Yesterday Elias received for her a ḥūrah, a dark-eyed beauty,

who almost showed him the wonder of flesh and blood.

فَهَامَ بِهَا حُبّاً وَآثَرَ وَصْفَهَا

فَمَنْ يُبْلِغُ الحَسْنَاءَ أَشْوَاقَ مُغْرَمِ

He became love-mad for her and chose to describe her;

who, then, will carry to the beauty an enamored lover’s longings?

هِيَ النَّفْسُ قَبْلَ العَيْنِ جَلاَّبَةُ الهَوَ

ى وَمَا فِي رَوْعٌ لِقَلْبٍ مُتَيَّمِ

It is the soul, before the eye, that draws desire,

and no dread dwells in a heart infatuated.

وَبَيْنَ التَّنَائِي وَالتَّلاقِي لَلَيْلَةٌ

وَبَيْنَ الرِّضَا وَالصَّدِّ رَغْبَةُ مُقْدِمِ

Between separation and meeting there lies a night,

and between welcome and rebuff, the yearning of one who ventures.

إِذَا مَا الْتَقَى العُشَّاقُ فِي طُرُقِ الهَوَى

وَرَامُوا ابْتِعَاداً عَنْ وُشَاةٍ وَلُوَّمِ

When lovers meet upon the paths of desire

and seek to draw away from tale-bearers and reproachers,

فَوَصْلُكِ بِنْتَ الزِّنْجِ وَالبَدْرُ طَالِعٌ

سِتَارٌ لِصَبٍّ بِالبَيَاضِ مُلَثَّمِ

then union with you, daughter of the Zanj, while the full moon rises,

is a screen for an ardent lover, veiled in white.