هَل يُبتَلى أَحَدٌ بِمِثلِ بَلِيَّتي

أَم لَيسَ لي في العالَمينَ ضَريبُ

Is there anyone tried with an ordeal like mine,

Or is there none in the two worlds with my fortune?

قالَت عَنانُ وَأَبصَرَتني شاحِباً

يا بَكرُ ما لَكَ قَد عَلاكَ شُحوبُ

Anan looked at me and saw me pale-faced,

"O Bakr! What is the matter that sorrow has overtaken you?"

فَأَجَبتُها يا أُختُ لَم يَلقَ الَّذي

لاقَيتُ إِلّا المُبتَلى أَيّوبُ

I answered her: "O sister! None suffers

What I suffer, except the long-suffering Job."

قَد كُنتُ أَسمَعُ بِالهَوى فَأَظُنُّهُ

شَيئاً يَلَذُّ لِأَهلِهِ وَيَطيبُ

I used to hear about passion and think it

A thing that gives its votaries sweet delight,

حَتّى اِبتُليتُ بِحُلوِهِ وَبِمُرِّهِ

فَالحُلوُ مِنهُ لِلقُلوبِ مُذيبُ

Till I was tried by the sweetness and the bitterness thereof:

Its sweetness dissolves the hearts of men;

وَالمُرُّ يَعجَزُ مَنطِقي عَن وَصفِهِ

لِلمُرِّ وَصفٌ يا عَنانُ عَجيبُ

And my tongue fails to describe its bitterness:

Strange is the bitterness of passion, O Anan!

فَأَنا الشَقِيُّ بِحُلوِهِ وَبِمُرِّهِ

وَأَنا المُعَنّى الهائِمُ المَكروبُ

Wretched am I because of its sweetness and its bitterness,

And I am the loving captive, sad, tearful, and lonely.

يا دُرّ حالَفَكِ الجَمالُ فَما لَهُ

في وَجهِ إِنسانٍ سِواك نَصيبُ

O pearl! Beauty has singled you out and given you

What it has granted to no other human face,

كُلُّ الوُجوهِ تَشابَهَت وَبَهَرتِها

حُسناً فَوَجهُكِ في الوُجوهِ غَريبُ

While all other faces resemble and copy each other, yours

In their midst is odd and strange.

وَالشَمسُ يَغرُبُ في الحِجابِ ضِياؤُها

عَنّا وَيُشرِقُ وَجهُكِ المَحجوبُ

The shining sun hides its light from us

Behind the veil, while your veiled face beams upon us.