1. زعموا أنِّي خَؤونٌ في الهوى

    في الهوى أنِّي خَؤونٌ زعموا

    They claimed that I am faithless in love.

    In love I am faithless, they claimed.

  2. أثِموا حقاً وقد ظنُّوه بي

    بي وقد طنُّوه حقاً أثِموا

    They truly sinned, having suspected this of me.

    Having suspected this of me, they truly sinned.

  3. ظلموا لمّا رأوني مُنصِفاً

    مُنصِفاً لمّا رأوني ظلموا

    They wronged me when they saw me being fair.

    When they saw me being fair, they wronged me.

  4. علموا ما في فؤادي منهمُ

    منهمُ ما في فؤادي علموا

    They knew what lay in my heart concerning them.

    What lay in my heart concerning them, they knew.

  5. نقموا فرطَ ولوعي بهمُ

    بهمُ فرطَ ولوعي نقموا

    They resented my excessive passion for them.

    My excessive passion for them they resented.

  6. سلموا مِن لوعةٍ بي في الحشا

    في الحشا من لوعةٍ بي سلموا

    They were untouched by the anguish within my breast.

    By the anguish within my breast they were untouched.

  7. حكموا لمّا رأوني طائعاً

    طائعاً لمّا رأوني حكموا

    They ruled over me when they saw me obedient.

    When they saw me obedient, they ruled over me.

  8. كَرُموا أصلاً وطابوا عنصراً

    عنصراً طابوا وأصلاً كَرُموا

    They were noble in origin and pure in stock.

    In stock they were pure, and in origin they were noble.

  9. فَهِموا وجدي فجاروا عامداً

    عامداً جاروا ووجدي فَهِموا

    They understood my yearning, then deliberately wronged me.

    Deliberately they wronged me, and understood my yearning.

  10. حرَّموا وصلي وقتلي حلَّلوا

    حلَّلوا قتلي ووصلي حرَّموا

    They forbade union with me and made killing me lawful.

    They made killing me lawful and forbade union with me.

  11. فهُمُ قصدي ومنهمُ راحتي

    راحتي منهمُ وقصدي فهُمُ

    They, then, are my aim, and from them comes my comfort.

    My comfort comes from them, and they, then, are my aim.

  12. نَعِموا أين استقلَّتْ بزلُهمْ

    بزلُهمْ أين استقلَّتْ نَعِموا

    May they live in bliss wherever their full-grown camels set out.

    Wherever their full-grown camels set out, may they live in bliss.