1. ما بالُها ليسَ يَثنيها تثنَّيها

    وَلا مَعاطِفُها بالعَطفِ تُغريها

    What ails her, that her swaying does not soften her,

    nor do her curves entice her to tenderness?

  2. إِذا دَنت ظَلَّ فَرطُ الدَّل يُبعدِهُا

    وإن نأت باتتِ الأحلام تُدنيها

    When she draws near, excessive coquetry still keeps her distant;

    and if she goes far away, dreams bring her near through the night.

  3. أبكي فتضحكُ من عُجبٍ ومِن عَجَبٍ

    فالغيثُ والبرقُ في جفني وفي فيها

    I weep, and she laughs out of vanity and wonder;

    for rain is in my eyelid, and lightning in her mouth.

  4. يا بانُ غُصنُكَ لِيناً ليسَ يُشبهُها

    يا ليلُ بدرُكَ حُسناً ليسَ يحكيها

    O bān tree, your branch does not match her in suppleness;

    O night, your full moon does not match her in beauty.

  5. في خدَّها وردَةٌ للحُسنِ ناضرةٌ

    لم يجنِ ذَنباً سوى من جاء يَجنيها

    Upon her cheek is a rose, radiant with beauty;

    none has committed a sin except whoever came to pluck it.

  6. يهنيكَ قُلبُ قُربٌ من معاصمِهِا

    وأنت يَا عِقدُ مَسٌّ من تَراقيها

    May nearness to her wrists delight you, O bracelet;

    and you, O necklace, may the touch of her collarbones delight you.

  7. لو تنطِقُ الشَّمسُ قالت وهيَ صادقةٌ

    ما فَّي فيها وما فَّي الذي فيها

    If the sun could speak, she would say truthfully:

    "What is in me is in her, but what is in her is not in me.

  8. هَبني أُماثِلُها نُوراً وفرطَ سناً

    من أينَ أَملِكُ معنىً من معانيها

    Grant that I match her in light and intense radiance—

    how could I possess even one of her qualities?"