لاَمُ العِذَارِ لِتَوكِيدِ الهَوَى خُلِقَت

ام للتَّعَجُّبِ مِمَّا ذُقتُهُ مُشِقت

Is it the blame of confirming passion that it was created,

Or is it for wonder at what bitterness I have tasted,

أم لابتِدَاءِ صَبَابَاتِ المُتَيَّمِ أم

لِمِلكِ مُهجَتهِ لِلعَينِ إذ رَمقَت

Or is it to begin the youthfulness of the lovesick,

Or for the kingdom of his spirit to the eye when it glanced,

أم لاختِصَاصِي بِنَبلٍ من لوَاحِظِهِ

أم لاستِغَاثَةِ قَلبِي منهُ إذ رَشقَت

Or is it my specialty in gentleness from its beholder,

Or is it to invoke my heart from it when it shot,

أم للإضافَةِ مِن ذُلِيِّ لِعِزَّتِهِ

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ أم لِلعهدِ لو صَدَقَت

Or is it for the addition from the lowly to his glory,

Oh, would that I know! Or is it for the covenant, if it were true,

أم ذِي لِتَعرِيفِ وَجدِي أم لجَحدِ دمِ

خُيُولُهُ مِن مَجَارِي أدمُعِي استَبَقَت

Or the one to define my passion, or for the blood of my tears

Its steeds from my tear ducts raced forth,

أم ذِي لِتَعلِيلِ قَلبِي بِالزّيارَةِ أم

للأمرِ أن تَسكُبَ العَينانِ فَاندَفَعَت

Or the one to justify my heart with visitation, or

For the command that the two eyes pour forth and gush out,

أم تِلكَ لِلقَسَمِ المَبرُورِ من دَنِفٍ

أم ذِي لِعَاقِبَةٍ في الغيبِ قَد سَبَقَت

Or are those for the binding oath of him who is gentle,

Or the one for a consequence in the unseen that preceded,

أم ذِي لِتَارِيخِ شهرِ اللَّحظِ صارِمَهُ

أم ذِي لِجِنسِ جَوَارِي أدمُعِي دَفِقَت

Or the one for the date of the month of the severe glance,

Or the one for the genus of my pouring tears that flooded forth,

هَذِي لَعَمرِي مَعَانِي اللاَّمِ عِدَّتُهَا

أتَتكَ سِتَّةَ عَشرَ حَسبَمَا اتَّفَقَت

These, by my life, are the meanings of "laam", their count

Came to you sixteen, as it turned out.