شَهِدتُ بِأَنّي لَم تَغَيَّر مَوَدَّتي

وَإِنّي بِكُم حَتّى المَماتِ ضَنينُ

I bear witness that my affection has not changed

And indeed I cherish you until death

وَأَنَّ فُؤادي لا يَلينُ إِلى هَوى

سِواكِ وَإِن قالوا بَلى سَيَلينُ

And my heart does not bend to any passion

Other than you, though they say it will bend

فَقَد لانَ أَيّامَ الصِبا ثُمَّ لَم يَكَد

مِنَ الدَهرِ شَيءٌ بَعدَهُنَّ يَلينُ

The days of youth did pass, then nothing

Of time thereafter did bend

وَلَمّا عَلَونَ اللابَتَينِ تَشَوَّفَت

قُلوبٌ إِلى وادي القُرى وَعُيونُ

And when the two encampments climbed up

Hearts yearned for the valley of villages and springs

كَأَنَّ دُموعَ العَينِ يَومَ تَحَمَّلَت

بُثَينَةُ يَسقيها الرِشاشَ مَعينُ

As if the tears of the eye when Buthaina bid farewell

Were watered by the sprinkling rain, a fount

ظَعائِنُ ما في قُربِهُنَّ لِذي هَوىً

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا شِقوَةٌ وَفُنونُ

The gazelles - what is there in their nearness

For the passionate among people except misery and sorrows

وَواكَلنَهُ وَالهَمَّ ثُمَّ تَرَكنَهُ

وَفي القَلبِ مِن وَجدٍ بِهِنَّ حَنينُ

They entrusted him and preoccupied his thoughts then left him

With anguish for them still lingering in his heart

وَرُحنَ وَقَد أَودَعنَ قَلبي أَمانَةً

لِبَثنَةَ سِرٌّ في الفُؤادِ كَمينُ

They went away having deposited in my heart a secret

For Buthaina, a mystery in my heart lying hidden

كَسِرِّ النَدى لَم يَعلَمِ الناسُ أَنَّهُ

ثَوى في قَرارِ الأَرضِ وَهُوَ دَفينُ

Like the bubbling of dew whose hidden water

Lies sheltered in the bosom of the earth, buried

إِذا جاوَزَ الإِثنَينِ سِرٌّ فَإِنَّهُ

بِنَثٍّ وَإِفشاءِ الحَديثِ قَمينُ

When a secret passes between two, it then

Scatters with gossip and tale telling

تُشَيِّبُ رَوعاتُ الفِراقِ مَفارِقي

وَأَنشَزنَ نَفسي فَوقَ حَيثُ تَكونُ

The terrors of parting make my companion age

And emaciate me above wherever she may be

فَواحَسرَتا إِن حيلَ بَيني وَبَينَها

وَيا حَينَ نَفسي كَيفَ فيكِ تَحينُ

Alas, if she is kept from me, and alas my soul, how you will yearn

And I cover up while not drowsy

وَإِنّي لَأَستَغشي وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ

لَعَلَّ لِقاءً في المَنامِ يَكونُ

Perhaps we will meet in a dream

And if this estrangement from you persists, then I

فَإِن دامَ هَذا الصَرمُ مِنكِ فَإِنَّني

لَأَغبَرِها في الجانِبَينِ رَهينُ

Will be her hostage on both sides, captive

So people will say he died without enjoying you

لَكَيما يَقولُ الناسُ ماتَ وَلَم يَمِن

عَلَيكِ وَلَم تَنبَتَّ مِنكِ قُرونُ

And horns did not sprout from you

They say what did you in, while wealth was abundant

يَقولونَ ما أَبلاكَ وَالمالُ عامِرٌ

عَلَيكَ وَضاحي الجِلدِ مِنكَ كَنينُ

For you, and the slopes of smooth skin were yours

So I said to them, "Do not blame me, but look

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَعذِلونِيَ وَاِنظُروا

إِلى النازِعِ المَقصورِ كَيفَ يَكونُ

At the pulsing temple, see how it pulses"