1. أَيُّها الرّاكبُ مهْلاً

    واستمعْ منّي كَلاما

    O rider, slow down,

    and listen to these words of mine.

  2. إنْ تَعرَّضْتَ لأَرْجا

    نَ فَبَلّغْها السَّلاما

    If you should come to Arjan,

    then convey my greetings to her.

  3. قلْ لها أبصرتُ في النَّا

    سِ كئيباً مُستَهاما

    Tell her: "I saw among the people

    a sorrowful man, distraught with love,

  4. يَتمنّاكِ ويَسْتَسْ

    قي لمَغْناكِ الغَماما

    who longs for you and implores

    the clouds to rain upon your abode."

  5. إنّ في أرْجانَ خِلاًّ

    سِرْتُ عنه وأقاما

    Indeed, in Arjan I have a dear friend;

    I journeyed away from him, while he remained.

  6. فإذا اشْتاقَ فؤادي

    ساكني أرْجانَ هاما

    Whenever my heart longs

    for Arjan's inhabitants, it grows distraught with love.

  7. وإذا رامَ سُلُوّاً

    عنهمُ زادَ أُواما

    And whenever it seeks to forget

    them, its burning thirst grows fiercer.

  8. حبّذا تلكَ اللّيالي

    عَيْشُنا لو كانَ داما

    How lovely were those nights!

    Our life—if only it had lasted!

  9. يا أخِلاّيَ الأداني

    ونَدامايَ الكراما

    O my closest friends

    and my noble drinking companions,

  10. أَتُرانا نَتلاقَى

    قبلَ أنْ نَلْقَى الحِماما

    do you think we shall meet

    before we meet death?

  11. كيف أنساكُمْ وقلبي

    لا يَني إلاّ غراما

    How could I forget you, when my heart

    never ceases to burn with love?

  12. كلَّما أَذكُرُ يوماً

    منكمُ أبكيهِ عاما

    Whenever I remember a day

    with you, I weep over it for a year.