1. يَا رُبَّ نَهْرٍ مُدْفَإٍ مَلْآنِ

    جَمِّ المُدُودِ مُعْمَرِ المَغَانِي

    Ah, many a warm, brimming river,

    abundant in swelling waters, its haunts well peopled:

  2. الدُّحْرُ والشُّبُوطُ والبَنَانُ

    كَالطَّلْعِ مَجْنِيَّاً مِنَ الجِنَانِ

    the duḥr, shubūṭ, and banān fish

    are like palm blossoms gathered from the gardens,

  3. أَوْ كَقُدُودِ أَذْرُعِ الغَوَانِي

    مَكْسُوَةٍ مِنْ صَنْعَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ

    or like the shapely arms of beautiful women,

    clothed by the handiwork of the All-Merciful,

  4. كَأَنَّمَا يَنْظُرُ مِنْ عِقْيَانِ

    أَوْ يَتَطَرَّفْنَ بِأُرْجُوَانِ

    as though looking out from pure gold,

    or dyeing their tips with crimson.

  5. بَاكَرْتُهُ مَعْ بَاكِرِ الغِرْبَانِ

    فِي فِتْيَةٍ أَفَاضِلٍ أَقْرَانِ

    I visited it early, with the earliest of the crows,

    among noble young men, all peers,

  6. يُعْنَوْنَ بِالدِّيْوَانِ وَالمَيْدَانِ

    وَلاَ يَعِفُّونَ عَنِ القِيَانِ

    who concern themselves with the chancery and the arena

    and do not abstain from singing girls,

  7. بِمِثْلِ أَحْدَاقٍ بِلاَ أَجْفَانِ

    كَأَنَّهَا جِلْدَةُ أُفْعُوَانِ

    with something like eyes without eyelids,

    as though it were a serpent's skin,

  8. تُزْعِجُ بِالأَطْمَاعِ وَالحِرْمَانِ

    أَجْرَى عَلَى مَايِرِهَا الغَرْثَانِ

    stirring unrest with hopes and deprivation,

    more bountiful to its hungry food-gatherer

  9. مِنَ الضَّوَارِي الغُضُفُ الآذَانِ

    وَكَاسِرِ البُزَاةِ والعِقْبَانِ

    than the droop-eared hunting beasts

    and the fierce hawks and eagles.