1. أرَانَا الْوَرْدَ فِي حُمْرِ الخُدُودِ

    وَقَدْ حَمَلَتْهُ بَانَاتُ القُدُودِ

    He showed us the rose in crimson cheeks,

    while slender, bān-like figures bore it.

  2. وَلاَحَ الجُلَّنَارُ بِوَجْنَتَيْهِ

    فَبَشَّرَنَا بِرُمَّانِ النُّهُودِ

    And pomegranate blossom shone upon his cheeks,

    heralding for us the pomegranates of breasts.

  3. وَقَوَّسَ حَاجِبًا فَرَمَى سِهَامًا

    تَشُقُّ قُلُوبَنَا قَبْلَ الجُلُودِ

    He arched an eyebrow and loosed arrows

    that pierce our hearts before our skins.

  4. يَمِينًا بِالْقَوَامِ إذَا تَثَنَّى

    وَبِالدُّعْجِ المُكَحَّلَةِ الرَّقُودِ

    I swear by his figure as it sways,

    and by the dark, kohl-lined, drowsy eyes:

  5. لَئِنْ قَطَعَ المُهَنَّدُ دُونَ غِمْدٍ

    فَسَيْفُ اللَّحْظُ أقْطَعُ فِي الغُمُودِ

    if the Indian-forged blade cuts unsheathed,

    the sword of his glance cuts keener within its sheaths.

  6. وَإنْ نُسِبَ الجَبِينُ إلَى هِلاَلٍ

    فَقَدْ نُسِبَ العِذَارُ إلَى زَرُودِ

    And if the brow is likened to a crescent,

    the cheek-down has been likened to Zarud.

  7. غَزَالٌ نَافِرٌ إنْ رُمْتَ أنْسًا

    وَكَيْفَ الأنْسُ لِلظَّبْيِ الشَّرُودِ

    A gazelle that shies away if you seek closeness—

    and how could a fleeing gazelle be tame?

  8. لَهُ فِي لَحْظِهِ آيَاتُ سِحْرٍ

    تُرِيكَ الظَّبْيَ يَلْعَبُ بِالأسُودِ

    He has wonders of magic in his glance

    that show you the gazelle toying with lions.

  9. رَآهُ الغُصْنُ ثُمَّ سَهَا فَلِمْ لاَ

    أتَى مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ بِالسُّجُودِ

    The bough saw him, then grew heedless—so why did it not

    offer prostration afterward?

  10. ظَلِلْتُ بِلَيْلِ طُرَّتِهِ وَلَكِنْ

    هُدِيتُ بِصُبْحِ طَالِعِهِ السَّعِيدِ

    I lingered in the night of his forelock, yet

    was guided by the dawn of his auspicious rising.

  11. شَنِيبُ الثَّغْرِ مَعْسُولُ الثَّنَايَا

    كَحِيلُ الطَّرْفِ وَرْدِيُّ الخُدُودِ

    His mouth cool and sweet, his front teeth honeyed,

    his eyes kohl-dark, his cheeks rose-red.

  12. يُدِيرُ الراحَ بِالكَاسَاتِ كَيْمَا

    يُرِيكَ الشَّمْسَ فِي بُرْجِ السُّعُودِ

    He passes wine around in cups, so that

    he may show you the sun in the sign of good fortune.

  13. خَطَبْنَا بِكْرَهَا فِي وَقْتِ أنْسٍ

    فَهَلْ لَكَ أنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الشُّهُودِ

    We wooed her virgin vintage in an hour of fellowship—

    would you be one of the witnesses?