1. وما بَيضا مُنعَّمةٌ

    أَسيلةُ صَفحةِ الخدِّ

    And what is this white, pampered one,

    With a smooth, slender expanse of cheek?

  2. لها طُولٌ على عَرضٍ

    وعُمقٌ مُوجَزُ البُعدِ

    She has length as well as breadth,

    And a depth of little extent.

  3. تجوزُ البحرَ ثم البَر

    رَ صامتةً وما تُبدِي

    She crosses the sea, then the land,

    Silent, and revealing nothing.

  4. تسيرُ بغيرِ ما قَدَم

    على مَهَلٍ وعن جِدِّ

    She travels without any foot,

    At leisure, and in earnest.

  5. فراكبةٌ ولم تَركَب

    على خَبَبٍ ولا نَهدِ

    So she rides, yet has never ridden

    At a trot or on a sturdy steed.

  6. وتَطوي السِرَّ بل تُطوَي

    عليهِ طِيَّةَ البُردِ

    And she folds away the secret—rather, is folded

    Around it, as a mantle is folded.

  7. فتاةٌ عِندَها سِيَّا

    نِ وصلُ الشِيبِ والمُردِ

    A maiden to whom it is all the same:

    Union with gray-haired men or beardless youths.

  8. وتَطلُبُ وصلَ صاحبِها

    بلا دَلٍّ ولا صَدِّ

    And she seeks union with her companion,

    Without coyness or rebuff.

  9. وما أَحلَى زِيارَتَها

    إذا جاءَت بلا وعد

    And how sweet her visit is

    When she comes without an appointment.

  10. وَقاحٌ ذاتُ وجهينِ

    اسرَّتهنَّ لا تندي

    Shameless, with two faces,

    Their facial lines never grow moist.

  11. فتُلفَى ثَيِّباً طوراً

    يَطاها كلُّ مستعدِ

    At times she is found no longer a virgin,

    Every ready man treads upon her.

  12. وتُلفَى تارةً بِكراً

    مُحجَّبةً بلا بُدِّ

    And at other times she is found a virgin,

    Veiled, with no alternative.

  13. وقد تَنشُزُ أحياناً

    نُشوزَ البِكر من وغدِ

    And sometimes she grows defiant,

    As a virgin recoils from a base man.

  14. وتأرَنُ بعضَ أوقاتٍ

    فما تنقادُ بالجُهدِ

    And at certain times she grows frisky,

    So she will not yield, despite effort.

  15. ولكن قد تَذِلُّ إذا

    أتاها راحضُ اليدِ

    But she may become meek when

    A man with a sweaty hand approaches her.

  16. إذا رُضَّت وهِينَ بها

    أتت في حُسنِها الفردي

    When she is pounded and treated with contempt,

    She appears in her matchless beauty.

  17. وتَبسِمُ عن رِضىً إِمَّا

    دَهَتها قَسوةُ الزَندِ

    And smiles contentedly whenever

    The forearm's harshness assails her.

  18. ولو عَلِمَت بهِ سَئِمَت

    تَوالي الاخذِ والردِّ

    And if she knew of it, she would tire of

    Repeated taking and returning.

  19. يقومُ بحِفظِها خَتمٌ

    ولو سارَت إلى الهِندِ

    A seal stands guard over her,

    Even if she travels to India.

  20. فلم تُطمِع بها نَذلاً

    بوصلٍ قائلاً عِندي

    So she has not enticed a base man

    With union, so he might say, 'She is with me.'

  21. ولم يَفضُض لها ختماً

    سِوَى المُتَجاوزِ الحَدِّ

    Nor has anyone broken a seal of hers,

    Except one who oversteps the bounds.

  22. حَوَت لِينَ القَوامِ فَقَد

    تميسُ بنَضرةِ القَدِّ

    She has suppleness of form, and so

    Sways with the freshness of her figure.

  23. لها طيشٌ فما نَهدا

    إذا هَبَّت صَبا نَجدِ

    She is flighty, and never [settles],

    When the east wind of Najd blows.

  24. إذا ما رَنَّحَت أعطا

    فَها أَزرَت على المُلدِ

    When she sways her limbs,

    She puts the supple ones to shame.

  25. وتَفرَقُ من سِوَى خَوفٍ

    فتُبدِي الصَوتَ كالرعدِ

    And she takes fright, though not from fear,

    And gives forth a sound like thunder.

  26. وتَهتَزُّ كما الأَغصا

    نِ بل تَرجُفُ كالسعدِ

    And shakes like branches—

    Rather, she trembles like sedge.

  27. وتَخفُقُ مثلَ راياتٍ

    بلا عَلَمٍ ولا بَندِ

    And flutters like banners,

    Without emblem or standard.

  28. صَبُورٌ ما شَكَت إِيلا

    مَ حَرٍّ لا ولا بَردِ

    Patient, she has never complained of pain

    From heat—no, nor from cold.

  29. غَدَت مَيدانَ افراسٍ

    ثُلاثَ لراكبٍ فردِ

    She has become an arena for horses:

    Three, for a single rider.

  30. فكم قَتَلَت وكم أَردَت

    بلا سيفٍ ولا حَدِّ

    How many she has killed, how many laid low,

    Without sword or cutting edge!

  31. وكم منها فتىً قد ذا

    قَ طَعمَ الصَارمِ الهِندي

    And how many a youth, because of her, has tasted

    The taste of a keen Indian sword.

  32. وكم قد فَرَّجَت غمّاً

    وانفت همَّ ذي سُهدِ

    And how often she has dispelled sorrow,

    And [banished] the care of a sleepless one.

  33. وكم قد أَعلَنَت بِشراً

    سَما بالشُكرِ والحمدِ

    And how often she has proclaimed joy

    That soared with thanks and praise.

  34. بها البأساءُ والنُعمَى

    تُرَى للنَحسِ والسعدِ

    In her, adversity and blessing

    Are seen, for ill fortune and good.

  35. فناطقةٌ وليسَ لَها

    لِسانٌ يا اخا الوُدِّ

    So she speaks, yet has no

    Tongue, O brother in affection.

  36. وحافظةٌ لعهدِ اللَهِ

    من قبلٍ ومن بعدِ

    And she keeps God's covenant,

    Before and after alike.

  37. وتنظرُها بلا دِينٍ

    ولا عِرضٍ ولا عهدِ

    Yet you see her without religion,

    Or honor, or covenant.

  38. ومُرسَلةٌ لقد تاحت

    على المُسترسلِ الجَعدِ

    And, sent forth, she has [vaunted herself]

    Above the straight-haired and the curly-haired.

  39. رَسُولٌ مُنذِرٌ باللَهِ

    كم أَهدَت وكم تَهدِي

    A messenger, warning in God's name,

    How often she has guided, and still guides!

  40. حَوَت كلَّ العلومِ وما

    لَها عقلٌ فيستهدي

    She contains all the sciences, yet

    Has no mind by which to seek guidance.

  41. وضدَّينِ لها ضدَّا

    نِ ايُّهما لها يُردِي

    And two opposites are her two foes:

    Either one brings her ruin.

  42. هما الأَمواهُ والنِيرا

    نُ فافهَم يا فَتَى قصدي

    They are water and fire;

    So understand my meaning, young man.

  43. ولن تَغنَى الوَرَى عنها

    سِوَى في جَنَّة الخُلدِ

    And humankind will never do without her,

    Save in the Garden of Eternity.