1. تَخَوَّفَ مِنها أَن يَقولَ مَتى الوَعدُ

    وَلَيسَ لَها بِالوَعدِ مُذ وَعَدَت عَهدُ

    He feared to ask her, "When will the promise be fulfilled?"

    Yet since she promised, she has kept no faith with her promise.

  2. وَلا عِندَهُم عِلمٌ بِما في فُؤادِهِ

    وَلا عِندَها مِن أَمرِهِ ما لَها عِندُ

    And they know nothing of what is in his heart,

    nor does she feel for him what he feels for her.

  3. وَكُلُّ عِتابٍ بَينَ وُدَّينِ داخِلٌ

    وَإِلّا فَلا تَتعَب فَما يَأذَنُ الوُدُّ

    And every reproach has its place between two who love each other;

    otherwise, do not weary yourself, for love gives no leave.

  4. وَإِن كانَ طَعمُ العَتبِ ذا حَنظَلِيَّةٍ

    فَصَبراً عَلى مُرٍّ عَواقِبُهُ الشَهدُ

    And if reproach tastes of colocynth,

    then bear the bitterness patiently—its outcome is honey.

  5. وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد مَرَّ عَتبي بِسَمعِها

    فَجاوَرَ عِقداً كانَ في نَحرِها عِقدُ

    And how many a night my reproach passed by her ear,

    so that one necklace lay beside another at her throat.

  6. وَلَمّا بَكَت عَيني لَها وَتَبَسَّمَت

    تَكاثَرَ فيها بَينَنا الشَرحُ وَالسَردُ

    And when my eye wept for her and she smiled,

    explanation and recounting about her abounded between us.

  7. وَظاهَرَها آثارُ كَونِكَ في الحَشا

    بِأَن قَد بَدا في ماءِ وَجنَتِكَ الوَقدُ

    And signs of your presence within the breast supported her,

    for flame had appeared in your cheek's watery sheen.

  8. وَإِلّا فَإِنَّ الوَردَ فيهِ مَلالَةٌ

    كَما عَهِدوا مِنهُ وَما مَلَّ ذا الوَردُ

    Otherwise, the rose does grow tiresome,

    as they have known it to—yet this rose never does.

  9. لَها خُلُقٌ ما فيهِ لِلحَمدِ مَوضِعٌ

    وَلِلوَجهِ مِنها قُلْ هُوَ اللَهُ وَالحَمدُ

    Her character leaves no room for praise,

    but for her face, recite "Say: He is God" and "Praise be to God."