1. Is it the blame of confirming passion that it was created,
Or is it for wonder at what bitterness I have tasted,
١. لاَمُ العِذَارِ لِتَوكِيدِ الهَوَى خُلِقَت
ام للتَّعَجُّبِ مِمَّا ذُقتُهُ مُشِقت
2. Or is it to begin the youthfulness of the lovesick,
Or for the kingdom of his spirit to the eye when it glanced,
٢. أم لابتِدَاءِ صَبَابَاتِ المُتَيَّمِ أم
لِمِلكِ مُهجَتهِ لِلعَينِ إذ رَمقَت
3. Or is it my specialty in gentleness from its beholder,
Or is it to invoke my heart from it when it shot,
٣. أم لاختِصَاصِي بِنَبلٍ من لوَاحِظِهِ
أم لاستِغَاثَةِ قَلبِي منهُ إذ رَشقَت
4. Or is it for the addition from the lowly to his glory,
Oh, would that I know! Or is it for the covenant, if it were true,
٤. أم للإضافَةِ مِن ذُلِيِّ لِعِزَّتِهِ
يَا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ أم لِلعهدِ لو صَدَقَت
5. Or the one to define my passion, or for the blood of my tears
Its steeds from my tear ducts raced forth,
٥. أم ذِي لِتَعرِيفِ وَجدِي أم لجَحدِ دمِ
خُيُولُهُ مِن مَجَارِي أدمُعِي استَبَقَت
6. Or the one to justify my heart with visitation, or
For the command that the two eyes pour forth and gush out,
٦. أم ذِي لِتَعلِيلِ قَلبِي بِالزّيارَةِ أم
للأمرِ أن تَسكُبَ العَينانِ فَاندَفَعَت
7. Or are those for the binding oath of him who is gentle,
Or the one for a consequence in the unseen that preceded,
٧. أم تِلكَ لِلقَسَمِ المَبرُورِ من دَنِفٍ
أم ذِي لِعَاقِبَةٍ في الغيبِ قَد سَبَقَت
8. Or the one for the date of the month of the severe glance,
Or the one for the genus of my pouring tears that flooded forth,
٨. أم ذِي لِتَارِيخِ شهرِ اللَّحظِ صارِمَهُ
أم ذِي لِجِنسِ جَوَارِي أدمُعِي دَفِقَت
9. These, by my life, are the meanings of "laam", their count
Came to you sixteen, as it turned out.
٩. هَذِي لَعَمرِي مَعَانِي اللاَّمِ عِدَّتُهَا
أتَتكَ سِتَّةَ عَشرَ حَسبَمَا اتَّفَقَت