يا طائِرَ البانِ غِرّيداً عَلى فَنَنٍ

ما هاجَ نَوحُكَ لي يا طائِرَ البانِ

O bird of the courtyard, chirp merrily

Why does your cooing disturb me, O bird of the courtyard

هَل أَنتَ مُبلَغُ مَن هامَ الفُؤادُ بِهِ

إِنَّ الطَليقَ يُؤَدّي حاجَةَ العاني

Are you a messenger for the one my heart is infatuated with?

The free can fulfill the wish of the lovesick

ضَمانَةٌ ما جَناها غَيرُ مُقلَتِهِ

يَومَ الوَداعِ فَيا شَوقي إِلى الجاني

No guarantee has been broken except his visit

On the day of parting, oh how I yearn for my beloved

مُغَفَّلٌ عَن هُمومي في بُلَهنِيَةٍ

أَرعى النُجومَ وَطَرفاهُ قَريرانِ

Oblivious of my worries in his heedlessness

He grazes the stars, his eyelids fluttering

يَنأى وَيَدنو عَلى خَضراءَ مَورِقَةٍ

لُعبَ النُعامى بِأَوراقٍ وَأَغصانِ

He distances and comes close on the green meadow

Ostriches playing with leaves and branches

كَالقُرطِ عُلِّقَ في ذِفرى مُبَتَّلَةٍ

بَينَ العَقائِلِ قُرطاها قَليقانِ

Like an earring hung on a perfumed braid

Between ringlets, its rings jingling

هَيهاتَ ما أَنتَ مِن وَجدي وَلا طَرَبي

وَلا لِقَلبِكَ أَشجاني وَأَحزاني

Alas, you are not of my passion or my delight

Nor does your heart share my sorrows and grief

وَلا نَظَرتَ إِلى ماءٍ عَلى ظَمَإٍ

تَبغي الوُرودَ وَلَيسَ الوِردُ بِالداني

You did not look upon water when thirsty

You seek roses, and roses are not easy to obtain

وَلا فُجِعتَ وَقَد سارَت رَكائِبُهُم

يَومَ الغَميمِ بِغِزلانِ كَغِزلانِ

You did not weep when their caravans departed

On a cloudy day, like gazelles, like gazelles

لَولا تَذَكُّرُ أَيّامي بِذي سَلَمٍ

وَعِندَ رامَةَ أَوطاري وَأَوطاني

Had I not recalled my days with someone peaceful

And my places of rest and homelands

لَما قَدَحتُ بِنارِ الوَجدِ في كَبِدي

وَلا بَلَلتُ بِماءِ الدَمعِ أَجفاني

I would not have kindled with passion’s fire in my liver

Nor wet my eyelids with tears