1. مَن مُنصِفي وَأَميرِيَ خَصمي

    بَدرٌ قَضى لي بِرَعيِ النَجمِ

    Who will grant me justice, when my prince is my adversary?

    A full moon has sentenced me to shepherd the stars.

  2. مُستَعذَبُ الظُلمِ عَذبُ الظَلمِ

    كَالسَيفِ في الرَونَقِ الفَتّانِ

    His injustice is savored as sweet; sweet is the dewy gleam of his mouth.

    Like a sword in its dazzling, bewitching sheen,

  3. وَريمٍ أَغيَد

    لَو حَلَّ في عابِدِ الأَوثانِ

    and a graceful gazelle.

    Were he to dwell within an idolater,

  4. لَكانَ يُعبَد

    أَحلى مِنَ الأَمنِ ذاكَ أَمني

    he himself would be worshipped.

    Sweeter than safety is that hope of mine;

  5. فَرَّ إِلى خاطِري مِن عَدنِ

    مُثَلَّثُ الوَصفِ فَردُ الحُسنِ

    he fled from Eden into my thoughts.

    Threefold in attributes, peerless in beauty:

  6. كَالسَيفِ في الرَونَقِ الفَتّانِ

    وَالبَأسِ وَالقَد

    like a sword in its bewitching sheen,

    in valor and in stature;

  7. كَالريمِ في الجيدِ وَالأَجفانِ

    وَنَفرَةِ الصَدّ

    like a gazelle in neck and eyelids,

    and in the skittish recoil of refusal.

  8. قَلبٌ جَريحٌ وَوُدٌّ سالِم

    جَنى عَذابي غُصنٌ ناعِم

    My heart is wounded, while my love for you remains whole;

    a tender bough has reaped my torment.

  9. وَساقَ لي السُهدَ طَرفٌ نائِم

    إِذا مَشى بِسِنانِ اللَحظانِ

    A drowsy eye has brought me sleeplessness;

    whenever he walks with the spearpoints of his two glances,

  10. فَالحَربُ توقَد

    يَظَلُّ يَجرَحُ قَلبي العانِ

    war is kindled.

    He goes on wounding my captive heart,

  11. وَأَجرَحُ الخَد

    أَرَّقتَ مِنّي عَبداً أُرِقّا

    while I wound my cheek.

    You made me—a slave—sleepless indeed;

  12. فَيَكرَهُ مِنكَ العِتقا

    يَروقُ حُسنُكَ لَو قَد رَقّا

    so he hates emancipation from you.

    Your beauty is delightful—if only it would soften.

  13. قَسَوتَ ظُلماً عَلى الهَيمانِ

    بِقَلبِ جَلمَد

    You have been unjustly cruel to the love-mad one,

    with a heart of rock.

  14. فَلَم أَرَ مَعقِدَ الهَيمانِ

    يَكادُ يُعقَد

    Never have I seen the inmost heart of a love-mad man

    come so near to hardening.

  15. يَقولُ لي عُذَّلي كَم تَصبو

    وَقَد تَقَرَّحَ مِنكَ القَلبُ

    My reproacher says to me, “How long will you play the lovesick youth,

    when your own heart has become an open sore?”

  16. لاموا وَلَم يَعلَموا ما الخَطبُ

    إِن كانَ مَضى عَن قَلبِيَ الفانِ

    They blamed me, not knowing what the matter was:

    if he has passed from my fading heart,

  17. لَم يَبقَ مُفرَد

    يُقالُ في صَدرِ قَلباً ثانِ

    my heart has not remained alone;

    they say there are two hearts within my breast:

  18. حِبّي مُحَمَّد

    my beloved is Muhammad.