ألمَّ به الوَشِي فأعرَضَ هَازئاً

فقُلتُ قَضِيبُ البانِ حرَّكَه الهَوَى

The desire stirred him though he turned away haughtily,

So I said, "The staff of the grocer is moved by passion."

ومَا اللُّؤلُؤ المكنونُ في الحُسنِ والصَّفَا

كدمعَةِ مَعمُودٍ أضرَّ به الجوَى

The hidden pearl is not like a tear that hurt him when the air turned cold.

My love for the homelands that nourished me has dwelt

ثَوَى حبُّ أوطان غَذتنِي لِبَانَها

بِقلبِي وَما أدراكَ ما به قَد ثَوَى

In my heart, though you cannot know what it has harbored there.

Whenever I encounter the causes of its sorrows,

ولمَّا اُلاقِي مِن دَواعي سُلُؤِّهَا

وقلبِي علَى ذاكَ الغَرامِ قَدِ انطَوَى

My heart turns to that passion and wraps itself around it.

The vileness of souls did not stop me from its people,

فما صدَّني خبثُ النُّفوسِ مِنَ أهلِهَا

وخُبثُ النفُوسِ الدَّاءُ مالَه مِن دَوَا

For the vileness of souls is an illness that has no cure.

Time brought us sorrow and gloating enemies,

ألَدَّ بِنا الدهرُ الخؤُونُ شَماتَةً

وما الدهرُ إلاَّ صرفُ أهلِه لآسِوى

Yet time is naught but the reversed fortunes of people.

I love you all, and God knows that I

أُحبكُمُ واللهُ يعلَمُ أننِي

أُحبكُمُ يا ليتَ ذا بينَنا سَوَا

Love you - if only this were mutual between us!