قتلَ المحبِّ قد استباح بشرعِه

قتلَ المحبِّ قد استباح بشرعِه

وسهام ناظره أتاح بنزعه

وسهام ناظره أتاح بنزعه

By his own law he has deemed the lover’s slaying lawful,

and loosed the arrows of his gazing eye as he drew them.

في فيه كنز قد تولّى حفظه

في فيه كنز قد تولّى حفظه

إنسان مقلته وأسود فرعه

إنسان مقلته وأسود فرعه

Within his mouth lies a treasure whose keeping has been undertaken

by the pupil of his eye and the black hair of his locks.

هذا يجرّد سيفه لمجاول

هذا يجرّد سيفه لمجاول

أخذاً وذا يعنو عليه لدفعه

أخذاً وذا يعنو عليه لدفعه

The former draws his sword against a challenger

seeking to seize the treasure, while the latter bends over it to repel him.