1. وأحورَ محسودٍ على حسنِ وجهِه

    يزيد تماماً حين يبدو على البدرِ

    And a dark-eyed youth, envied for the beauty of his face,

    surpasses the full moon in perfection when he appears.

  2. دعاني بعينيه فلمَّا أجبته

    رماني بأسباب القطيعة والهَجرِ

    He called me with his eyes, and when I answered him,

    he assailed me with pretexts for estrangement and abandonment.

  3. وكلفني صبراً عليه فلم أطق

    كما لم يُطِق موسى اصطباراً على الخضر

    And he required me to bear with him, but I could not,

    just as Moses could not patiently bear with al-Khidr.

  4. شكوت الهوى يوماً إليه فقال لي

    مسيلمة الكذاب جاء من القبرِ

    One day I complained to him of love, and he said to me:

    “Musaylima the Liar has come from the grave!”