1. O you whom I once held dear in Basra
To whom I showed only affection

2. And those who were my intimates
And those to whom I was a servant

3. And those whose flocks I tended
Be they intimate or aloof

4. We drank the waters of Baghdad
And forgot you completely

5. We swapped you for maidens
To the tunes of singing and merriment

6. More beautiful of form than you
And sweeter of figure

7. So do not expect loyalty from us
As we expect no loyalty from you

8. And when there was no other choice
We found replacements for you

9. Do not complain to us of loss
For we have no complaints of loss

10. Both of us have found among people
One to replace the lost intimacy

11. We have cut your ties intentionally
Just as you turned away indifferently

12. We have cut short your affection with separation
Until separation cut off affection

13. As a tribe retreats
When it sees the distance