1. فُؤادٌ بِهِ مِن فَقد أَحبابِهِ جَمرُ

    إِذا ما خَبت نيرانُهُ هاجَها الذكر

    A heart holds embers from the loss of its loved ones;

    Whenever its fires die down, remembrance stirs them up.

  2. تَغيبُهُ الذِكرى وَتُحضِرُهُ المُنى

    فَصَحوٌ وَلا صَحوٌ وَسكر وَلا سُكر

    Memory carries it away, and wishes bring it back:

    So sober, yet not sober; drunk, yet not drunk.

  3. وَقَلبٌ جَريح حَشوهُ لاعجِ الأَسى

    وَجِفنٌ قَريحٌ بَعد غَزر لَهُ غَزر

    And a wounded heart, filled with burning grief,

    And a sore eyelid, with torrent after torrent of tears.

  4. وَغَير بَديع مِنهُ أَن يُمطر الدَما

    إِذا اِجتَمَع الشَوق المُبرّح وَالهَجر

    Nor is it strange that it should rain blood,

    When agonizing longing and estrangement meet.

  5. فَكَيفَ وَقَد شَطَت بِنا غُربة النَوى

    وَأَصبَح مِن دون اللُقا البَر وَالبَحر

    How much more, when the exile of separation has carried us far away,

    And land and sea now stand in the way of reunion?

  6. بِنَفسيَ سحار الجُفون إِذا رَنا

    تَبَدَّد لُبُّ الصَب وَاِنكَشَف السر

    My soul be ransom for him with bewitching eyelids: when he gazes,

    The lovesick one's wits scatter, and the secret lies bare.

  7. تَكلمني بَينَ الوشاة لِحاظُهُ

    فَأَقضي بِها وَجداً وَأَحيا وَلَم يَدروا

    His glances speak to me among the talebearers;

    So through them I die of passion and live again, while they remain unaware.

  8. وَتَشكو فُتور الجفن خَوف رَقيبهِ

    فَيوحي إِليَّ اللَحظ ما نَفث السحر

    And his glances lament the eyelid's languor, fearing his watcher,

    So his glance whispers to me what magic has breathed.

  9. تَجافيت يا مَولايَ عَني فَخانَني

    شَبابي وَجارَ السُقم وَاِنحَرَفَ الدَهر

    You turned away from me, my lord, and I was betrayed

    By my youth; illness oppressed me, and fate turned against me.

  10. فَقلب وَلا جسم وَطَرف وَلا كَرى

    وَشَوق وَلا قَلب وَلَيل وَلا فَجر

    So a heart, but no body; an eye, but no sleep;

    And longing, but no heart; night, but no dawn.

  11. أَكاتم حُسادي وَعُذالي الأَسى

    وَلَو بُحت بِالشَكوى لِلان ليَ الصَخر

    I hide my grief from my enviers and reproachers;

    And were I to voice my complaint, rock would soften for me.

  12. أَساءَت بِنا الأَيّام ظُلماً فَبرحت

    وَما بَرحت مِن طَبعِها الظُلم وَالغَدر

    The days ill-treated us unjustly and tormented us;

    And injustice and treachery have never ceased to be their nature.

  13. أَبى الدَهر إِلّا أَن يُكَدر مَشرَبي

    وَهَل نالَ مِن صَفو الزَمان فَتى حُر

    Fate insists on clouding my drink;

    And has any noble youth ever enjoyed time's serenity?

  14. سأَصرف نَفسي الآن عَن كُل مَطمَع

    وَأَزجرها مَهما يُؤديها الزجر

    I shall now turn my soul away from every object of desire,

    And restrain it, whatever restraint may bring upon it,

  15. وَاِقطَع أَيامي بِحُسن تَوَكُل

    وَصَبر عَلى الأَيام ما أَمكَن الصَبر

    And spend my days with sincere trust,

    And patience through the days, as long as patience is possible.