بِحَليلَةِ البَجليِّ بِت مِن لَيلِها

بَينَ الإِزارِ وَكَشحِها ثُمَّ اِلصَقِ

I spent a night with the beauty of Banu al-Bajali

Between her gown and her shift, clinging

بِأَنيسَةٍ طُوَيَت عَلى مَطوِّها

طَيَّ الحِمالَةِ أَو كَطَيِّ المَنطِقِ

To a darling folded on her bed

As folded as a wrap or a belt

فَإِذا تَقومُ فَصَعدَةٌ في رَملَةٍ

لَبِدَت بِرَيِّقِ ديمَةٍ لَم تُغدِقِ

When she gets up, she climbs a sandhill

Baring teeth that have known no cleaning

وَإِذا تَجيءُ تَجيءُ تَسحَبُ خِلتَها

كَالأَيمِ أَصعَدَ في كَثيبٍ يَرتَقي

And when she comes, she comes dragging her train

Like a water serpent climbing a dune

كَذَبَ الكَواهِنُ وَالسَواحِرُ وَالهَنا

أَن لا وَفاءَ لِعاجِزٍ لايَتَّقي

Soothsayers and sorcerers and prestidigitators lied

When they said no fidelity in one unable to gain mastery