وَغَضيضِ الطَرفِ مِكسالِ الضُحى

أَحوَرِ المُقلَةِ كَالريمِ الأَغَن

And one downcast of gaze, languid through the forenoon,

with eyes of lustrous black against white, like the soft-voiced white gazelle,

مَرَّ بي في نَفَرٍ يُحفِفنَهُ

مِثلَما حَفَّ النَصارى بِالوَثَن

passed me amid a company that ringed him,

just as Christians ring an idol.

راعَني مَنظَرُهُ لَمّا بَدا

رُبَّما أَرتاعُ بِالشَيءِ الحَسَن

His appearance startled me when he came into view;

often I am startled by a beautiful thing.

قُلتُ مَن هَذا فَقالَت بَعضُ مَن

فَتَنَ اللَهُ بِكُم فيمَن فَتَن

I asked, “Who is this?” A woman among them said,

“One of those whom God has tried through you, among all those He has tried—

بَعضُ مَن كانَ أَسيراً زَمَناً

ثُمَّ أَضحى لِهَواكُم قَد مَجَن

one who had been a captive for a time,

then, for passion for you, turned wanton.”

قُلتُ حَقّاً ذا فَقالَت قَولَةً

أَورَثَت في القَلبِ هَمّاً وَشَجَن

I said, “Can this be true?” Then she uttered words

that left the heart burdened with care and grief:

يَشهَدُ اللَهُ عَلى حُبّي لَكُم

وَدُموعي شاهِدٌ لي وَحَزَن

“God bears witness to my love for you,

and my tears and my grief bear witness for me.”

قُلتُ يا سَيِّدَتي عَذَّبتِني

قالَتِ اللَهُمَّ عَذِّبني إِذَن

I said, “My lady, you have tormented me.”

She said, “O God, torment me, then!”