1. أرَوْهُ الجلّنارَ من الخُدودِ

    واخفَوْا عنه رمّان النهودِ

    They showed him pomegranate blossoms in their cheeks,

    and hid from him the pomegranates of their breasts.

  2. وحلَّوْا مقلتيه بدُرِّ دمعٍ

    تبسّم في المخانِقِ والبرودِ

    And they adorned his eyes with pearls of tears

    that smiled among necklaces and striped robes.

  3. وهم نظَموا الفريدَ على نُحورٍ

    فدمعُ العينِ يجري كالفَريدِ

    And they strung pearls upon throats;

    so the eye's tears flow like pearls.

  4. وما غرَسوا نخيلَ العيسِ إلا

    وهمْ فيها من الطَلْعِ النضيد

    Never did they plant the palm-trees of pale camels

    without themselves being the clustered date-fruit within them.

  5. يُثنّين المعاطفَ في قيامٍ

    ويُفعِمْنَ الروادفَ في قُعودِ

    They bend their flanks as they stand,

    and fill out their haunches as they sit.

  6. وكثبانٌ ترجْرجَ في مُروطٍ

    وقضبانٌ ترنّحُ في بُرودِ

    And sand dunes quiver in mantles,

    and slender boughs sway in striped robes.

  7. ويكسرن الجفونَ على لِحاظٍ

    هي الأسيافُ تحفل بالغُمودِ

    And they half-close their eyelids over glances

    that are swords, cherishing their sheaths.

  8. بعثْن على النوى جيشَ التداني

    وسلّطْنَ الوصالَ على الصُدودِ

    They sent against separation the army of nearness,

    and gave union dominion over estrangement.

  9. فبات الطيفُ يقضي الطرفَ دَيْناً

    تقاضتْهُ كفالاتُ الهُجودِ

    So the dream-vision spent the night repaying the eye a debt

    that the sureties of slumber had called in.

  10. وكم جذبَ الصبا طرفَيْ عِناني

    فغادرَهُ بسالفتَيْ شُرود

    And how often youth tugged the two ends of my bridle,

    then left it at both sides of a skittish one's neck.

  11. سقى مصراً وساكنُها مُلِثٌّ

    صليلُ البرقِ صخّابُ الرعودِ

    May unceasing rain water Egypt and its inhabitant,

    with ringing lightning and clamorous thunder.

  12. ولو أني وجدتُ لقلت سُقْيا

    يعاورُها على نايٍ وعودِ

    And if I could, I would say: may she be watered

    by rain that revisits her to the sound of flute and lute.

  13. مواردُ بي لها عطشٌ شديدٌ

    ولكنْ لا سبيلَ الى الورودِ

    Watering places for which I have an intense thirst,

    but there is no way to reach their waters.

  14. هل الرأي السديدُ البعدُ عنها

    نعم إنْ كان للشيخِ السديد

    Is the sound course to keep far from her?

    Yes, if it is for Shaykh al-Sadid.

  15. إليكَ قطعتُ لا طوفانَ نخْل

    ليُنزلَني على جوديّ جُودِ

    To you I made the crossing—not a flood of palms—

    to be set down upon a Judi of generosity.

  16. فصحّ وقد رأيتُك كلُّ وعدٍ

    ملكتُ به مناجزةَ الوُعودِ

    Thus, once I saw you, every promise proved true;

    through it I secured the prompt fulfillment of promises.

  17. معي خِلَعُ الثناء وليس منها

    خليعٌ إن عزَمْتُ على الجديدِ

    I bear robes of praise, and not one of them

    is cast off, if I resolve upon the new.