1. إِنّى لَبَاكٍ وَما عذرِى إِذا هَمَلَت

    عَينى عَلَى الإِلفِ قَد جَرَّبتُهُ خانَا

    I am indeed weeping—what excuse have I when tears stream

    From my eye for a beloved I have tested and found faithless?

  2. وما بُكاىَ عَلَى ضِنٍّ بِوَصلِكُمُ

    وَلا اتّباعُكُمُ بَعدَ الَّذِى كانَا

    And my tears are not from clinging to union with you,

    Nor is my pursuit of you after what has passed,

  3. إِلاّ مَخَافَة أَعدَاءٍ اُحاذِرُهُم

    لَمّا رَأَيتُ جَدِيدَ الصُّرمِ قَد حانَا

    But from fear of enemies whom I dread,

    When I saw that fresh estrangement was at hand.

  4. يا سَلمَ باعَدَ ربُّ النَّاسِ مُصبَحَكُم

    مِنَّا وَباعَدَ مِن مُمسَاكِ مُمسَانَا

    O Salm, may the Lord of mankind keep your morning dwelling far

    From us, and keep our evening dwelling far from yours.

  5. وَلاَ رأيتُكُمُ فِى أَمنِ غَافيةٍ

    حُلماً وَلاَ غَفلةِ الواشينَ يَقظانَا

    And may I never see you in the safety of slumber,

    In a dream, nor awake while talebearers are heedless.

  6. وَلاَ شَرِبتُ بماءٍ تَشربينَ بِهِ

    وَلاَ تجاورَ فِى الأمواتِ قَبرَانَا

    And may I never drink of water that you drink,

    Nor may our two graves lie side by side among the dead.