بَلِّغ سَلاَمِى إِذَا جِئتَ البَتُولَ لَهَا

وقُل لَهَا إِنَّهَا أَغَرَت بي الوَلَهَا

Convey my greetings when you come to the young beauty

And tell her that she has seduced me into loving her madly

وأنني مُذ نَأتني مُغرَمٌ دَنِفٌ

لَم أسلُ لَم ألهُ إِن غَيرِى سَلاَولَهَا

Since she left me yearning, forlorn

I cannot rest or settle, for she occupies all my thoughts

إني أُؤَمِّلُ منها أَن تُنَولني

لأنَّ مُنيَةَ نَفسِى أَن تُنَوِّلَهَا

I hope that she will return to me

For I am destined to long for her as long as I live

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِى هَل لِىَ بَعدَمَا بَعُدَت

وَصَرَمَت مِن حِبَالِ الوَصلِ أَحبُلَهَا

Oh how I wish I knew, now that she is gone

And has cut the ropes that bound us, if she misses me still

إِلمَامَةٌ بِنَوَاحِيهَا وجِيرَتِهَا

حَتَّى أُعَلِّلَ نَفسِى أن أُعَلِّلَهَا

The deer remind me of her eyes when I see them

The sun, her radiant face at dusk

إِنَّ البَتُولَ لَهَا في القَلبِ مَنزِلَةً

مَن حَلَّها قَبلَهَا مَا حَلَّ مَنزِلَهَا

Wine, the sweetness of her lips; milk, the softness of her skin

The stars, her gaze; the night, her tresses

فَالظبي يُذَكِّرني إِن يَرنُ مُقلَتَهَا

والشَّمسُ أشنَبَهَا الألمَى وقَيهَلَها

The one I love has shunned you, keeping her distance

And broken away, prolonging her disdain

والخَمرُ رِيقَتَها وألبَانُ مَيسَتَهَا

والسِّحرُ نَظَرَتَها واللَّيلُ أَلَيلَهَا

Why do you still pine for her when she has poisoned you with love

Forcing your soul to surrender and kneel before her?

قَالَ العَذُولُ البَتُولُ عَنكَ نَأَت

وصَرَمَت وأطَالَت فِيكَ عُذَّلَهَا

I said intentions bring people closer, yet when I approached with nothing to offer

She saw me as a fool and turned away

هَلاَّ تَسَلَّيتَ عَنها إِذ سَقَتكَ هَوىً

قَد حَمَلَ النَّفسَ قَسراً أن تَذِلَّ لَهَا

If she distances herself from me, I am indifferent,

Her rejection does not bother me, nor do I tire of her coyness

فَقُلتُ إِنَّ النِّوَى تُدني النَّوَى وأَنَا

إِن جِئتُ بِيداً أرَتني البِيدُ مَجهَلَهَا

I persevere and continue to work hard to win her

It is my burning desire to earn her love and make her mine

إن تَنأى مني فَإني غَيرُ مُكتَرِثٍ

بالعَذلِ فِيهَا ولَم أسأم تَدَلُّلَهَا

Until I can bring her close so my eyes can feast on her

And look into her eyes and ask her directly

أنضِى وأعمِلُ فِيهَا نَصَّ يَعمُلَةٍ

حَرٍ أن أنضُيَهَا فِيهَا وأُعمِلَهَا

حَتَّى أُقرِّبَها كَيما أُرَّ بِهَا

عَيني وأنظُرَ عَينَيهَا وأَسأَلَهَا