1. هفَّ لبرقٍ بِالحمى قَد هَفا

    وَما اِختَفَت أَسرارُهُ مُذ خَفى

    He yearned for lightning that had flickered in the sanctuary.

    And his secrets have not been concealed since he vanished.

  2. غَيرانُ حَتّى مِن نَسيمِ الصَبا

    سَكرانُ لَكن مِن لمى أَهيَفا

    Jealous even of the east wind's breeze,

    drunk, but on the dusky lips of a slender-waisted one.

  3. كَالشَمسِ لَكن إِنَّما وَجهُهُ

    لفَرطِ حُسنٍ فيهِ لَن يَكسِفا

    Like the sun, except that his face,

    for its surpassing beauty, will never be eclipsed.

  4. عَربدَ مِنهُ طَرفُه وَهوَ لا

    يَشربُ حاشى دينه قرقفا

    His gaze ran riot, though he does not

    drink wine—far be such a thing from his faith!

  5. لَكنَّ رَيّا ريقِهِ قَد سَرَت

    مِنهُ لطَرفٍ قَد حَكى مُرهَفا

    But the fragrance of his saliva has spread

    from him to a gaze like a sharpened sword.

  6. سَقُمتُ مِن سُقمٍ بِأَجفانِهِ

    مازالَ يَعدي مدنفٌ مدنفا

    I sickened from the sickness in his eyelids;

    one ailing soul keeps infecting another.

  7. أَسمرُ قَد هَزَّ لَنا أَسمَراً

    بِنارِ خَدٍّ مِنهُ قَد ثقّفا

    A dusky one has brandished a dusky spear for us,

    which he has straightened with the fire of his cheek.

  8. أَثمرَ أَعلاهُ هِلالاً وَقَد

    كادَ لثِقلِ الرِدفِ أَن يقصَفا

    Its top has borne a crescent moon as fruit, and

    it has almost snapped beneath the weight of his buttocks.