1. طالَ لَيلي وَباتَ قَلبي جَناحا

    وَمَلَلتُ العُذّالَ وَالنُصّاحا

    My night grew long, and my heart spent it fluttering like a wing.

    I grew weary of reproachers and advisers.

  2. يَأمُرونَ المُحِبَّ بِالصَبرِ عَمَّن

    قَد بَرى الحُبُّ جِسمَهُ فَاِستَطاحا

    They bid the lover endure separation from one

    whose love has wasted his body and laid him low.

  3. بِئسَ ما يَأمُرونَ مُستَشعِرَ الهَم

    مِ يُقاسي مِن عَبدَةَ الأَتراحا

    Wretched is what they prescribe to one steeped in grief,

    enduring sorrows from ‘Abdah.

  4. أَيُّها القارِئُ المُذَكِّرُ بِاللَ

    هِ تَرى في وِصالِ حِبٍّ جُناحا

    O reciter who reminds us of God,

    do you see sin in union with a beloved?

  5. قالَ لا بَأسَ بِالحَديثِ إِذا ما

    لَم يَزيدا عَلى الحَديثِ جِماحا

    He said, “There is no harm in conversation, provided

    the two add no unbridled passion to their talk.”

  6. أَيُّ خَيرٍ يا عَونُ يَرجو مُحِبُّ

    في سَوادِ الفُؤادِ مِنهُ بَراحا

    What good, O ‘Awn, can a lover hope for,

    seeking release from love in his heart’s dark core?

  7. كَيفَ يَرجو سُلُوَّ صَبٍّ حَزينٍ

    زادَهُ الحُبُّ حينَ شاعَ اِرتِياحا

    How can he hope a sorrowful lover will forget,

    when love, once made known, has increased his yearning?

  8. إِن تَكُن إِنَّما تَروحُ وَتَغدو

    بِاِنتِصاحِ فَما أُريدُ اِنتِصاحا

    If you only visit at evening and morning

    to have me heed counsel, I have no wish to heed it.

  9. فَدَع الغَدوَ وَالرَواحَ عَلَينا

    ما غَدا حُبُّها عَلَينا وَراحا

    Then stop your morning and evening visits to us,

    so long as love for her visits us morning and evening.

  10. قَد كَتَمتُ الهَوى مَلِيّاً فَلَمّا

    ضِقتُ ذَرعاً بِحُبِّ عَبدَةَ باحا

    I long concealed my passion, but when

    I could no longer bear love for ‘Abdah, it revealed itself.

  11. لَيتَ شِعري عَن أُمِّ عَمروٍ وَعَمروٌ

    لَم يَكُن جاهِلاً وَلا مَزّاحا

    Would that I knew about Umm ‘Amr—and ‘Amr

    was neither ignorant nor a jester.

  12. أَحَديثٌ مِنها رَماهُ بِطَبٍّ

    لَيتَهُ ماتَ قَبلَها فَاِستَراحا

    Was it a word from her that struck him with a spell?

    Would that he had died before her and found rest!

  13. بَل يُرَجّي ما لا يُنالُ وَلَولا

    ما يُرَجّي اِكتَسى المُسوحَ وَساحا

    Rather, he hopes for what cannot be attained; were it not

    for what he hopes for, he would don haircloth and wander.

  14. أُمَّ عَمروٍ ما زالَ حُبُّكِ يَغتا

    لُ عَزائي حَتّى اِفتَضَحتُ اِفتِضاحا

    Umm ‘Amr, love for you keeps stealthily slaying

    my fortitude, until I was utterly exposed.

  15. كَيفَ لا تَرحَمينَ شَخصاً مُحِبّاً

    مَيِّتاً مِن هَواكِ مَوتاً صُراحا

    How can you not pity a loving man,

    dead from love for you, dead beyond all doubt?

  16. كانَ يَرعى المِصباحَ حيناً فَلَمّا

    ضافَهُ الحُبُّ ضَيَّعَ المِصباحا

    He tended the lamp for a time, but when

    love came to him as a guest, he neglected the lamp.

  17. إِن تَكوني أَرَدتِ أَن تَفجَعيهِ

    بِمُزاحٍ فَقَد قَطَعتِ المُزاحا

    If you meant to cause him grief

    in jest, you have put an end to jest.

  18. واصِلاً لِلحَياةِ مِنها وَإِن عا

    شَ وَماتَت بَكى عَلَيها وَناحا

    Bound to life through her; and if he lives on

    and she dies, he will weep for her and wail.

  19. إِن شَهِدَتَ الوَفاةَ يا عَونُ مِنّي

    في مَقامٍ وَكُنتَ تَنوي صَلاحا

    If you witness my death, O ‘Awn,

    in some place, and mean to do good,

  20. فَاِدعُ سِربَ المِلاحِ يَشهَدنَ مَوتي

    بِحَنوطٍ إِنّي أُحِبُّ المِلاحا

    then summon the flock of beauties to witness my death,

    with burial perfume; I love beautiful women.

  21. مِن هَوى عَبدَةَ البَخيلَةِ إِنّي

    لا أَرى غَيرَها لِقَلبي رَواحا

    Because of love for miserly ‘Abdah, I

    see no relief for my heart except in her.

  22. أَنتَ عَونُ الشَيطانِ إِن لَم تُعِنّي

    فَاِرعَ ما قُلتُ تَشفِ مِنّي قِماحا

    You are Satan’s helper if you do not help me;

    so heed what I said, and cure my refusal to drink.

  23. وَاِدعُ قَومي بِأُمِّ عَمروٍ فَإِنّي

    عاقِدٌ حُبَّها عَلَيَّ وِشاحا

    And call my people in Umm ‘Amr’s name, for I

    have bound love for her upon me as a sash.

  24. مُستَهامُ النَهارِ مُرتَفِقُ اللَي

    لِ إِلى أَن أُعايِنَ الإِصباحا

    Love-distraught by day, propped on my elbow at night,

    until I behold the dawn.

  25. لَم أَزَل مِن هَوى عُبَيدَةَ أَهوى

    ما يَليها حَتّى هَويتُ الرِياحا

    For love of ‘Ubaydah, I have never ceased to love

    whatever is near her, until I even loved the winds.

  26. لَستُ أَنسى غَداةَ قامَت تَهادى

    لِلمُصَلّى فَطارَ قَلبي وَطاحا

    I do not forget the morning she rose and walked swaying

    to the prayer ground; my heart flew up and fell.

  27. في نِساءٍ إِذا أَرَدنَ ضِياءً

    لِظَلامٍ جَعَلنَها مِصباحا

    Among women who, when they wanted light

    for darkness, made her a lamp.

  28. فَأَضاءَت لَهُنَّ داجِيَةَ اللَي

    لِ وَجَلَّت عَمّا تَجِنُّ الوِحاحا

    She lit up for them the darkness of night,

    and unveiled what she concealed [al-wiḥāḥ: unclear as written].