1. إِن تَغَنَّ الوَرقاءُ في الأَوراقِ

    صَدَّ عَنّي آسي الأَسى وَالراقي

    If the gray dove sings among the leaves,

    the healer of sorrow and the spell-reciter turn away from me.

  2. إِن شَدَت أَنشَدَت نَسيبَ نُصَيب

    أَو تَغَنَّت غَنيتُ عَن إِسحاقِ

    If she warbles, she recites Nusayb's love poetry;

    or if she sings, I have no need of Ishaq.

  3. رَبَّةَ الطَوقِ طَوِّقينا يَداً تَب

    قى بَقاءَ الأَطواقِ في الأَعناقِ

    O mistress of the neck-ring, encircle us with a kindness that will

    last as neck-rings last upon necks.

  4. أذكرينا العَهدَ القَديمَ بِنَجدٍ

    إِنَّ نَجداً مَظَنَّةُ الأَشواقِ

    Remind us of the old days in Najd;

    indeed, Najd is a haunt of longing.

  5. نَحنُ نوحي إِلَيكَ سِرّاً فَنوحي

    وَاِصدَحي وَاِصدَعي حَشا المُشتاقِ

    We confide a secret to you; so lament,

    and sing out, and rend the yearning lover's heart.

  6. وَاِسجَعي تَفجَعي المحبَّ بِصَبرٍ

    غَير باقٍ بَل مولَعٍ بِالإِباقِ

    And coo: make the lover mourn a patience

    that will not stay, but is enamored of flight.

  7. ما غِناءُ الحَمامِ في عَذَباتِ ال

    بانِ إِلا الحِمامُ لِلعُشّاقِ

    The doves' singing upon the tips of the

    ban trees is nothing but death to lovers.

  8. يا نَديمي أَدِر كُؤوسَ المُحَيّا

    وَاِنفِ هَمّي بِشُربِها يا ساقي

    O my boon companion, pass round the cups of the countenance,

    and banish my sorrow with a drink of it, O cupbearer.

  9. وَاِسقِنيها وَردِيَّةً في زَمانِ ال

    وَردِ تَحكي وَردَ الخُدودِ الرِقاقِ

    And serve it to me rose-red, in the season of the

    rose, mirroring the roses of delicate cheeks.

  10. عاطِنيها عَلى ثُغورِ أَقاحٍ

    ضاحِكاتٍ وَنَرجِسِ الأَحداقِ

    Pass it to me amid daisy mouths,

    smiling, and narcissus eyes,

  11. وَقُدودٍ مِثلِ الغُصونِ عَلى كُث

    بِ النَقا عِندَ ضَمِّنا لِلعِناقِ

    and figures like branches upon dunes

    of fine sand, when we draw close for an embrace.

  12. وَمغانٍ تَحلو فَتَحلو مَعانٍ

    لِلمَعنى بِهِنَّ بَعدَ الفِراقِ

    And abodes grow sweet, so meanings grow sweet

    for the lover tormented by them after parting.

  13. ساعَةَ البَينِ إِنَّما أَنتِ كَالسا

    عَةِ تَأِتي وَمالها مِن فُواقِ

    O hour of parting, you are just like the Hour

    that comes without the least respite.

  14. نَحنُ في ظُلمَةِ الفِراقِ فَهَل ير

    جى لِشَمسِ اللِّقاءِ مِن إِشراقِ

    We are in the darkness of separation; is there hope

    that the sun of reunion will shine?

  15. مِن دُموعي وَما تُجِنُّ ضُلوعي

    أَنا بَينَ الإِغراقِ وَالإِحراقِ

    From my tears and what my ribs conceal,

    I am caught between drowning and burning.

  16. بَلَّ دَمعي إِلّا غَليلي وَأَفنى ال

    وَجدُ كُلّي إِلّا الأَسى فَهوَ باقِ

    My tears have moistened all but my burning thirst, and

    longing has consumed all of me but sorrow, which remains.

  17. لَستُ أَشكو ما بي إِلى الخلقِ لكن

    ني أَشكو بَثّي إِلى الخَلّاقِ

    I do not complain of what ails me to mortals, but

    I complain of my anguish to the Creator.