أَحِمَى الْجَزِيرَةِ مَطْلَعُ الشَّمْسِ

أَمْ لاحَ ضَوْءُ غَزَالَةِ الإِنْسِ

The sun rises over the island

Or the glow of a doe's light

خَرَجَتْ إِلَى الْبُسْتَانِ لاهِيَةً

تَخْتَالُ بَيْنَ كَواعِبٍ خَمْسِ

She went out to the garden playfully

Sashaying among five maidens

فَتَبِعْتُ مَسْرَاها عَلَى عَجَلٍ

حَتَّى ظَفِرْتُ بِنَظْرَةٍ خَلْسِ

I followed her path hastily

Until I stole a furtive glance

فَسَتَرْنَهَا عَنِّي وَسِرْنَ بِهَا

فِي رَوْضَةٍ فَيْنَانَةِ الْغَرْسِ

She hid herself from me and slipped away

To a garden of burgeoning trees

فَوَقَفْتُ مَطْوِيَّاً عَلَى كَمَدٍ

وَمَضَتْ عَلَى آثَارِهَا نَفْسِي

I stopped, bent over a reed

While my soul traced her steps

تِلْكَ الَّتِي لَوْلا هَوَايَ بِهَا

مَا بِتُّ مِنْ أَمَلٍ عَلَى يَأْسِ

She for whom, were it not for my love of her

I would not cling to a shred of hope

هَيْهَاتَ أَنْسَى حُسْنَ صُورَتِها

وَحَوَادِثُ الأَيَّامِ قَدْ تُنْسِي

Alas! I cannot forget the beauty of her face

Though the days' events make one forget