1. ظَعَنَ الأَميرُ بِأَحسَنِ الخَلقِ

    وَغَدا بِلُبِّكَ مَطلَعَ الشَرقِ

    The prince departed with the fairest of creation,

    And at dawn bore your wits toward the eastern horizon.

  2. مَرَّت عَلى قَرنٍ يُقادُ بِها

    جَمَلٌ أَمامَ بَرازِقٍ زُرقِ

    She passed by Qarn, borne along

    On a camel led before blue-eyed troops.

  3. وَبَدَت لَنا مِن تَحتِ كِلَّتِها

    كَالشَمسِ أَو كَغَمامَةِ البَرقِ

    And she appeared to us from beneath her canopy,

    Like the sun, or a lightning-lit cloud.

  4. ما صَبَّحَت بَعلاً بِرُؤيَتِها

    إِلّا غَدا بِكَواكِبِ الطَلقِ

    No husband ever saw her at dawn

    Without going forth with a constellation of divorces.

  5. في البَيتِ ذي الحَسَبِ الرَفيعِ وَمِن

    أَهلِ التُقى وَالبِرِّ وَالصِدقِ

    She is of a house of lofty lineage, and of

    A people of piety, righteousness, and truth.

  6. قُرَشِيَّةٌ عَبَقَ العَبيرُ بِها

    عَبَقَ العَبيرِ بِعاجَةِ الحُقِّ

    A woman of Quraysh—perfume clings to her

    As perfume clings to the ivory of a casket.

  7. شَبَّ البَياضُ أَمامَ صُفرَتِها

    في رِقَّةِ الديباجِ وَالعِتقِ

    Whiteness glowed against her golden hue,

    With brocade's delicacy and noble refinement.

  8. فَظَلِلتُ كَالمَقمورِ خِلعَتَهُ

    هَذا الجُنونُ وَلَيسَ بِالعِشقِ

    So I remained like one who has gambled away his robe;

    This is madness, not love.

  9. وَتَنو فَتُثقِلُها عَجيزَتُها

    نَهضَ الضَعيفِ يَنوءُ بِالوَسقِ

    And she strains to rise, her buttocks weighing her down,

    Like a weak man rising, staggering beneath a load.