1. كم ذا أنوح وكم فوادي يخفق

    والدمع مني عند ميُّ مهرق

    How long must I lament, and how often must my heart throb?

    And my tears are poured out in Mayy's presence.

  2. وحشاشتي أبدّا تذوب تحسرّا

    مما لقيت ومهجتي تتمزق

    And my life's last spark forever melts in grief,

    From what I have suffered, while my soul is torn apart.

  3. فالبين فوق صايبات نباله

    نحوي وبات بها لقبي يرشق

    For separation nocked its unerring arrows

    Toward me, and spent the night pelting my heart with them.

  4. وبفرقة النقاش ذاك الشاب ناقش

    ني مناقشة الذي لا يشفق

    And through the loss of al-Naqqash, that youth, it called

    Me to account as one who shows no mercy.

  5. وأذاقني فيه كؤوس علاقمٍ

    جُرعتها ومدامعي تتدفق

    And over him it made me taste cups of bitter colocynth,

    Which I was made to swallow while my tears streamed.

  6. قد ناحت الخنساء لكن فاقها

    نوحي فكان لصخرها يستنطق

    Al-Khansa lamented, yet she was surpassed

    By my lament, which would make her Sakhr speak.

  7. والوعتاه على الفتى لحود كم

    ابكيه ما عاينت شمساً تشرق

    Alas, my anguish for the youth Lahoud! How often

    I weep for him whenever I see the sun rise,

  8. ورأيت بدراً طالماّ في حندس

    ونجوم أفق تستهلّ وتبثق

    And see a full moon, so often in deep darkness,

    And stars on the horizon emerging and bursting forth.