1. وَأَغيَدَ في صَدرِ النَدِيِّ لِحُسنِهِ

    حُلِيُّ وَفي صَدرِ القَصيدِ نَسيبُ

    And a graceful youth: at the gathering's head, his beauty has

    Jewels, and at the poem's opening, a love prelude.

  2. مِنَ الهيفِ أَمّا رِدفُهُ فَمُنَعَّمٌ

    خَصيبٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُهُ فَجَديبُ

    One of the slender-waisted: his buttocks are soft

    And lush, while his waist is barren.

  3. يَرُفُّ بِرَوضِ الحُسنِ مِن نورِ وَجهِهِ

    وَقامَتِهِ نُوّارَةٌ وَقَضيبُ

    In beauty's garden sway, from his face's radiance

    And his stature, a blossom and a slender bough.

  4. جَلاها وَقَد غَنّى الحَمامُ عَشِيَّةً

    عَجوزاً عَلَيها لِلحَبابِ مَشيبُ

    He unveiled her, as the doves sang one evening—

    An old woman, with bubbles for gray hair.

  5. وَجاءَ بِها حَمراءَ أَمّا زُجاجُها

    فَماءٌ وَأَمّا مِلؤُهُ فَلَهيبُ

    And he brought her crimson—as for her glass,

    It is water, while its contents are flame,

  6. عَلى لُجَّةٍ تَرتَجُّ أَمّا حَبابُها

    فَنورٌ وَأَمّا مَوجُها فَكَثيبُ

    Above a quivering deep—as for its bubbles,

    They are blossoms, while its waves are a sand dune.

  7. تَجافَت بِها عَنّا الحَوادِثُ بُرهَةً

    وَقَد ساعَدَتنا قَهوَةٌ وَحَبيبُ

    Through her, misfortunes kept away from us awhile,

    While wine and a beloved lent us their aid.

  8. وَغازَلَنا جَفنٌ هُناكَ كَنَرجِسٍ

    وَمُبتَسَمٌ لِلأُقحُوانِ شَنيبُ

    And there an eyelid like a narcissus flirted with us,

    And a smiling mouth, with cool, daisy-white teeth.

  9. فَلِلَّهِ ذَيلٌ لِلتَصابي سَحَبتُهُ

    وَعَيشٌ بِأَطرافِ الشَبابِ رَطيبُ

    By God, what a train of youthful dalliance I trailed,

    And what a life, lush at the fringes of youth!