متى الدَّينُ يا أُمَّ العَلاءِ فقد أَنَى

أَنَاهُ مُؤَدَّىً للغَرِيمِ المُطالبِ

When will the debt be paid, O mother of nobility, for it has been lost

I have been longing to pay the creditor his dues

لقد طالما استَنسَأتِ إِمّا لِتَظلمِى

وإِمّا لتُرضِى بالقَليلِ المُقاربِ

You have often procrastinated, either to wrong me

Or to be content with little, approaching what is due

لقد زَعَم الواشونَ أَنِّى صَرَمتُهَا

وكلُّ الذى عدُّوا مَقالةُ كاذبِ

The slanderers have claimed that I refused to pay it

Yet all they say is lies from a liar

وكيفَ عَزاءُ النَّفسِ عنها وحبُّهَا

يزيدُ إِذَا ما رثَّ وَصلُ الكَواعِبِ

How can my soul find solace from it and love her

When separation prolongs and the anklets cease their rhythm