1. قاتِلي لا بَرِئتَ مِن أَوزاري

    أَيُّ نارٍ لَولا خُدودكَ ناري

    My slayer, may you never be absolved of my sins!

    What fire would be mine, were it not for your cheeks?

  2. كُلُّ يَومٍ يَعتادُني مِنكَ وَجدٌ

    ثابِتٌ لا يَقِرُّ مِنهُ قَراري

    Every day a longing for you revisits me,

    Constant, yet leaving me no peace.

  3. فَوقَ خَدَّيكَ شَعرَةٌ لَقَّبوها

    لِعَناءي وَشَقوَتي بِعِذاري

    Upon your cheeks is a strand of hair they have dubbed,

    To my torment and misery, 'my bridle.'

  4. يا مَليحَ الدَلالِ يا حَسَنَ القَا

    مَةِ يا مَن عَلَيهِ طابَ اِشتِهاري

    O sweet in coyness, O fair of

    Stature, O you for whom I delight to be renowned!

  5. يا مُناءي إِذا بَلَغتُ مُنائي

    وَاِختِياري إِذا مَلَكتُ اِختِياري

    O my desire, when I attain my desire,

    And my choice, when the choice is mine!

  6. بِاِنشِقاقِ الصَباحِ في غَسَقِ اللَي

    لِ وَنَبتِ الرَيحانِ في الجُلَّنارِ

    By dawn breaking amid the gloom of

    Night, and basil sprouting among pomegranate blossoms,

  7. وَاِهتِزاز القَدِّ المثقَّفِ كَالغُص

    نِ لَوَتهُ النَسيمُ في الأَسحارِ

    And the swaying of the well-shaped figure, like a

    Branch bent by the breeze in the hours before dawn,

  8. وَبِذاكَ الإعراضُ مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ

    مَظهراً في سَطوَةِ الاِقتِدارِ

    And by that turning away for no offense,

    A display of power's overwhelming force,

  9. وَبِحُكمِ الهَوى عَلَيَّ بِما تَر

    ضى يَميناً ثَقيلَةَ الأَوزارِ

    And by love's judgment upon me, as you

    Please—an oath heavy with sins—

  10. لا تحَمِّل ما لا يُطيقُ فُؤادي

    وَاِصطَنِعني إِلَيكَ مِنكَ فَراري

    Do not burden me with what my heart cannot bear,

    And take me into your favor: to you I flee from you.

  11. حاشَ لِلَهِ أَن تعَذِّبَ قَلباً

    اَنتَ مِنهُ بِمَوضِعِ الأَسرارِ

    God forbid that you should torment a heart

    In whose secret recesses you dwell.

  12. كَيفَ أُشفى وَفي جَفاكَ سَقامي

    كَيفَ أَصحو وَمِن هَواكَ خماري

    How can I be healed, when my sickness lies in your coldness?

    How can I sober up, when my stupor comes from loving you?