1. تَنَقَّبَتْ بِالنَّوْرِ وَالنُّورِ

    وَاعْتَجَرَتْ لكِنْ بِدَيْجوْرِ

    She veiled herself in blossoms and light,

    And wrapped her head—but in deep darkness.

  2. ساحِرَةُ الطَّرْفِ وَلكِنَّها

    مِنْ فَتْرَةٍ فِي زِيِّ مَسْحُورِ

    A sorceress in her gaze, yet she is,

    Through languor, in the guise of one bewitched.

  3. شَفَّ بَياضُ الَّلإِذْعَن جِسْمِها

    كَالْخَمْرِ فِي بَاطِنِ بِلَّوْرِ

    The white silk revealed her body,

    Like wine within crystal.

  4. كَأَنَّما مِعْصَمُها جَدْوَلٌ

    صِيغَ لَهُ سَدٌّ مِنَ النُّورِ

    Her wrist is like a stream

    For which a dam of light was fashioned.

  5. تَبْسِمُ عَن مَنْظومِ دُرٍّ فَإنْ

    تَرَنمَّتْ جاءَتْ بِمَنْثُورِ

    She smiles to reveal strung pearls; and if

    She sings, she brings forth unstrung pearls.

  6. كَأنَّ فِي مُقْلَتِها ضَيْغَماً

    يَنْظُرُ عَن أَجْفانِ يَعْفُورِ

    As though within her eye there were a lion

    Looking out through a fawn's eyelids.

  7. كَأنَّها بَدْرُ تَمامٍ عَلَى

    غُصْنِ نَقاً أَخْضَرَ مَمْطورِ

    She is like a full moon upon

    A green, rain-drenched branch on a dune.

  8. زارَتْ فَفَكَّكْتُ عُرَاجَيْبِها

    بِالضَّمَّ عَن رُمَّانِ كَافورِ

    She visited, and I undid her neckline's ties

    With an embrace, uncovering pomegranates of camphor.

  9. وَبِتُّ أَطْفِي بِجَنى ثَغْرِها

    حُرْقَةَ صَادِي الْقَلْبِ مَهْجورِ

    And I spent the night quenching, with the fruit of her lips,

    The burning of one thirsty at heart and forsaken.

  10. يا لَيِلَةَ الْوَصْلِ اسْتَقِرِّي وَيَا

    سَيرَةَ سُلْطانِ الوَرى سِيرِي

    O night of union, stay still; and O

    Tale of the sultan of humankind, travel far!

  11. المَلِكْ الْعادِلُ مَنْ أَمَّهُ

    فَقَدْ رَأَى مُوسى عَلى الطُّورِ

    Al-Malik al-Adil—whoever comes to him

    Has seen Moses upon the Mount.

  12. إنْ كانَ قَد دُكَّ قَديماً فَقَد

    عَمَّرْتَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْميرِ

    If it was leveled long ago, you have indeed

    Rebuilt it in the finest fashion.

  13. كَأَنَّهُ تاجٌ عَلى مَفْرِقٍ

    لَمَّا اسْتَدارَتْ شُرَفُ السَّورِ

    It was like a crown upon a head,

    When the wall's battlements circled round.

  14. يَزاحِمُ النَّجْمَ لَهُ مَنْكِبٌ

    كَالنَّجْمِ فِي الرِّفْعَةِ وَالنُّورِ

    Its shoulder jostles the stars,

    Like a star in height and radiance.

  15. كَأَنَّما أَوْقَفْتَهُ حارِساً

    يَنْظُرُ مِن عَكَّا إلى صُورِ

    As though you had stationed it as a watchman,

    Looking from Acre toward Tyre.

  16. فَكُلَّما لاحَ لَهُ بارِقٌ

    يَرْتَعِدُ الصَّخْرُ مِنَ الدُّورِ

    And whenever a flash of lightning appears to it,

    The stone of the dwellings trembles.

  17. بَنى سُلَيْمانُ بِأَعْوانِهِ

    وَأَنتَ بِالغُرِّ الجَماهِيرِ

    Solomon built with his helpers,

    And you with illustrious multitudes.

  18. تُصافِحُ الأَحْجارَ أَيْدٍ لَهُمْ

    لا تَرْتَضي لَمْسَ الدَّنانِيرِ

    Their hands clasp the stones,

    Unwilling to touch dinars.

  19. دانَتْ لَكَ الدَّنْيا وَسُكّانُها

    ما بَيْنَ أَمَّارٍ وَمأمورِ

    The world and its inhabitants have submitted to you,

    Commanders and commanded alike.

  20. تَجْري المقادِيرُ بِما تَشْتَهي

    ما بَيْنَ تَعْسيرٍ وَتَيْسيرِ

    Destinies run as you desire,

    Whether in hardship or in ease.

  21. سَعادَةٌ لَيْسَ لَها آخِرٌ

    وَلا لِيَوْمِ النَّفْخِ فِي الصُّورِ

    Such felicity has no end,

    Nor does the day of the Trumpet's blast.

  22. هَل يَقْدِرُ الأَعْداءُ أَنْ يَمْسَحُوا

    ما خُطَّ فِي لَوحِ المْقاديرِ

    Can the enemies erase

    What is inscribed on the Tablet of Destinies?

  23. يَا مَلِكاً تَنْسَخُ أَيّامُهُ

    ما خُطّ مِن إِفْكِ الأساطيرِ

    O king whose days annul

    The falsehood inscribed in legends,

  24. أَسْهَرَةُ الذَّبُّ عَن الدِّينِ لا

    عِشْقُ رَبيباتِ المَقاصيرِ

    Defense of the faith has kept him awake, not

    Love for maidens reared in secluded chambers.

  25. مُؤَيَّدُ الرَّاياتِ وَالرَّأْي فِي

    حالَةِ تَدْميرِ وَتَدْبيرِ

    Supported in his banners and counsel, in

    Times of destruction and planning.

  26. إنَ جَنَحُوا لِلسِّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَها

    ما خَدَعُ الحَرْبِ بِتَقْصيرِ

    If they incline toward peace, incline toward it;

    The stratagems of war are no failing.

  27. كَمْ لَكَ فِي يافا وَفِي المَرْجِ مِنْ

    وَقائِعٍ غُرٍّ مَشاهيرِ

    How many have been yours, at Jaffa and al-Marj—

    Illustrious, celebrated battles!

  28. عِشْرُونَ أَلفاً غَيْرَ أَتْباعِهِمْ

    ما بَيْنَ مَقْتُولٍ وَمَأْسُورِ

    Twenty thousand, apart from their followers,

    Some slain, others taken captive.

  29. طَهَّرْتَ بَيْتَ القُدْسِ مِنْ رِجْسِهِمْ

    وِكانَ مَأْوَىً لِلْخَنازيرِ

    You cleansed Jerusalem of their defilement,

    And it had been a refuge for swine.

  30. يا ذاكِراً لِلّهِ يا ناسِياً

    لِلْعُرْفِ مَعْ كَثْرَةِ تَكِرِيرِ

    O you mindful of God, O you forgetful

    Of your favors, despite their frequent repetition!

  31. إِنِّي مَحَلُّ الأْجرِ وَالشُّكْرِ يا

    أَكْرَمَ مَأْجُورِ وَمشْكورِ

    I am a source of reward and thanks, O

    Most generous of those rewarded and thanked!