وَكَم بِتُّ عَطشاناً إِلى مَورِدِ اللَمى

وَإِن كُنتُ في بَحرِ الدُموعِ غَريقا

How often I thirst for the watering place of union

Even if I am drowning in the sea of tears

فَريقَينِ وَدَّعنا فَريقاً أَحِبَّةً

تَعِزُّ عَلَينا وَالقُلوبَ فَريقا

We bid farewell to companions, one group of beloved ones

Whose loss grieves us, while hearts are a different group

وَلا رَوحَ في الشَكوى وَأَيَّةُ راحَةٍ

بِما سَرَّ أَعداءً وَساءَ صَديقا

There is no life in complaining, and what comfort is there

In what gladdens enemies and saddens a friend

وَإِنّا لَنَنعي كُلَّ دارٍ بِقَدرِها

بِأَيَّةِ ما نَبكي العَقيقَ عَقيقا

And we lament, for every house according to its fate

With which elegy do we weep for carnelian, carnelian

وَما زالَ سَيلُ الدَمعِ يَجري بِرَبعِهِم

إِلى أَن رَأَينا الدَمعَ صارَ طَريقا

The torrent of tears still flows in their quarters

Until we saw that tears had become a road

حَمامَ اللِوى إِنّي كَما يَشهَدُ الهَوى

لَأَولى بِضَمِّ الغُصنِ مِنكَ وَريقا

O dove of passion, as passion bears witness

I am more deserving to gather the branch than you, slight one

وَكَم باتَ وَالتَغريدُ يَهفو بِعَطفِهِ

فَأَصبَحَ مَنهوكَ القَوامِ دَقيقا

And how often it spent the night, and the warbling swooped in its branch

So it woke up faint in body, weak

إِلى أَن حَسِبناهُ مِنَ السُقمِ عاشِقاً

وَكانَ يَرى العُشّاقُ مِنهُ عَشيقا

Until we thought it was sick with love

And the lovers saw in it a passionate lover

إِذا دَقَّ ساقاً طالِعاً جُلَّنارُهُ

ظَنَنتَ غُصونَ البانِ عُدنَ شَقيقا

When its bright-red foot beats

You'd think the branches of acacia were most wretched