وَمَخْطوفَةِ الخَصْرِ لَمَّا بَدَتْ

لدى الليْلِ عايَنْتُ سَهْماً يُضِي

With a slender waist revealed

In the night I spied an arrow glide-

تُعاقِبُ مِنْ نَفْسِها نَفْسَها

فَتَقْضي الأُمورَ كَما تَنْقَضي

Tormenting itself with itself,

Thus things conclude as they dissolve,

وتَمْرَضُ إِنْ تَرَكوا رَأْسَها

وإِنْ قَطَعوا الرَّأْسَ لَمْ تَمْرَضِ

And ail if they leave her be,

Yet lose her head and still not ill.