1. خَطَرَاتُ المَلامِ

    تُغرِي الهَوَى باستِعارِ

    The stirrings of reproach

    Incite passion to blaze.

  2. هِيَ هَاجَتُ أُوَارِي

    وَالرّيحُ عَونُ الشِّرَارِ

    They have stirred my burning heat,

    And the wind lends aid to the sparks.

  3. قُل للاَحِ نَهَانِي

    دَعنِي وَدِينَ ابنش هَانِي

    Say to the reprover who forbade me:

    Leave me to the creed of Ibn Hani [reading uncertain].

  4. أيّ خَدّ دَهَانِي

    بَوَردةٍ كَالدّهَانِ

    What a cheek has overwhelmed me,

    With a rose like oil!

  5. أبدَتِ الجَنتَانِ

    مِنهُ جَنَى غَيرَ دَانِ

    The two gardens have revealed

    From it, fruit beyond reach.

  6. وَوَرَاءَ اللِّثَامِ

    رَوضٌ ثَمِينُ النِّثَارِ

    And behind the veil,

    A garden whose scatterings are precious;

  7. وَخِلاَلَ الإزَارِ

    زاهٍ مِنَ الدّعصِ زَأرِ

    And within the waist-wrap,

    Radiant, from the sand-mound—roaring [wording unclear].

  8. فَتكُ لَيثٍ هَصُورِ

    وحُسنُ ظَبيٍ رَبِيب

    The deadly violence of a rending lion,

    And the beauty of a hand-reared gazelle.

  9. خَانَ فِيهِ نَصِيرِي

    وَجَفَانِي حَبِيب

    My ally betrayed me over him,

    And a beloved shunned me.

  10. سَافِرٌ عَن مُنِيرِ

    وَبَاسِمٍ عَن شَنِيب

    Unveiled, revealing a radiant face,

    And smiling, revealing cool, white teeth.

  11. أيّ وِردٍ لِظَامِ

    وأيّ ضَوءٍ لِسَارِ

    What a watering-place for the thirsty,

    And what a light for a night-traveler!

  12. حَكَمَا بِالصَّغَارِ

    لِلدّرِّ أو لِلدّرَارِي

    Both have decreed abasement

    For pearls or radiant stars.

  13. رَشَأٌ طَابَ مَرعَاهُ

    فِي مَرتَعِ شَبّ نَاره

    A fawn whose pasture was sweet,

    In a grazing-ground, he kindled his fire.

  14. كَان في الصّدرِ منشاهُ

    فَأصبَحَ الصَّدرُ دَارَه

    His birthplace was in the breast,

    And so the breast became his home.

  15. صَارِمٌ حُسنُ مَرآهُ

    يَنِي النُّفُوسَ غِرَارَه

    The beauty of his appearance is a keen sword;

    Its edge wears souls down.

  16. رُمتُ نَقعَ الأوَامِ

    مِن رَونَقٍ فِيهِ جَارِ

    I sought to quench the burning thirst

    From the flowing sheen of his mouth.

  17. وَعَدَانِي اغتِرَارِي

    عَن خَوفِ ذَاكَ العِذارِ

    And my delusion diverted me

    From fear of that cheek-down.

  18. خُذ فَؤَادِي بِقُوّه

    يََاضعفَ تِلكَ الجُفُونِ

    Take my heart by force,

    O weakness of those eyelids!

  19. يا جي يا ابن ذروه

    لأضلُعِ وَعُيُون

    O [unclear], O son of a summit,

    For ribs and eyes.

  20. يا نعيما وشقوه

    ومرآك والحب ديني

    O bliss and misery,

    And the sight of you, and love, are my creed.

  21. قُدتَنِي لِلحِمَامِ

    فاذهب بجرح جُبَار

    You led me to death;

    So go with a wound for which no redress is owed.

  22. كَيفَ وَجهُ انتِصَارِي

    وَالشَّمسُ مَوضِعُ ثأرِي

    How can I find a way to avenge myself,

    When the sun is the target of my blood-vengeance?

  23. بأبي مُستَصِيلٌ

    يَسُوءُ صُنعاً ويُحمَد

    My father be the ransom for a domineering one,

    Who does ill, yet is praised.

  24. قيد أودى العليل

    فارفق به يا محمد

    A fetter; the ailing one has perished [wording unclear].

    So be gentle with him, O Muhammad.

  25. وَاميه يَا بَخِيل

    باللَّفظِ مِنكَ

    And [unclear], O miser,

    With speech from you.