أَلا اِنتَظِروني ساعَةً عِندَ أَسماءِ

وَأَتآبِها مِنهُنَّ بُرئي وَأَدوائي

Wait for me an hour, friends, near Asma's abode,

And seek from them my cure and remedy.

ثَنَينَ الذُيولَ وَاِرتَدَينَ بِسابِغٍ

كَحَيّاتِ رَملٍ وَاِنتَقَبنَ بِحَنّاءِ

With trailing skirts and dyed in deepest red,

Like snakes on shifting sands they came to me.

وَوَلَّينَ ما بالَينَ مَن قَد قَتَلنَهُ

بِلا تِرَةٍ تُخشى وَلا قَتلِ أَعدائي

They turned away from him whom they had killed

Without remorse or fear for enemies.

رَدَدتُ سِهامي عَنكَ بيضاً وَخُضِّبَت

سِهامُكَ في قَلبٍ عَميدٍ وَأَحشاءِ

My arrows turned aside and blank, while yours

Were dipped in heart and vitals, keen to slay.

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ المَنعِ أَغرى لِحاجَةٍ

وَلا مِثلَ داءِ الحُبِّ أَبرَحَ داءِ

No better balm for need than their denial,

No worse than love's disease that hurts alway.