حمراءُ لم تَكذِبْ ولم تَصدُقِ

لها لِسانٌ قَطُّ لم يَنْطِقِِ

Red, who did not lie nor tell the truth

She has a silent tongue that did not speak

يَفْرُقُها العالِمُ لكنَّها

قَطُّ من العالِمِ لم تَفَرَقِ

The scholar distinguishes her, but she

Is silent from the scholar, did not distinguish

يُزْهِرُ في ذي أربعٍ مُقْعَدٌ

كالشَّمْسِ إذ تُزْهِرُ في المشرِقِ

There blossoms in the quadruped

Like the sun when it blossoms in the east

تَرى به الجَمْرَ إذا ما صَفا

يُشرِقُ مِثلَ الذَّهَبِ المُشرِقِ

You see in it embers when it is clear

It shines like gilded gold shining

جَمرَتُه تُشرِقُ من عَبْرَتي

وحَرُّه من قلبيَ المُقْلِقِ

Its embers shine from my tears

And its heat from my disturbing heart

إذا بَدا نَحوَكَ شبَّهْتَهُ

بقَهْوَةٍ في قَدَحٍ أزرَقِ

When it appears to you, you likened it

To coffee in a blue cup