اصدَت غداة الجِزع ذي الطَلح زَينب

تُقَطِّع مِنها حَبلُها ام تقضَّبُ

Zainab cried bitterly at dawn,

Should she cut her rope, or be patient?

وَقَد عبِثتَ فيما مَضى وَهيَ خلة

صَديق لَنا أَو ذاكَ ما كنت احسِبُ

You have trifled in the past, though she was a dear

Friend to us, or was that not what I thought?

تَرى عَجَباً في غِبطَة ان نَزورُها

وَنَحنُ بِها مِنها اسرُّ واعجَبُ

Strange that we would visit her in her joy

When with her, we were more secretive and amazed

وَفي الرَكب جُثماني وَنَفسي رَهينَة

لِزَينَب لَم اِذهَب بِها حينَ اِذهبُ

In the caravan lies my body and soul hostage

To Zainab - I did not take them when I left

فَبانَت وَلا يُنسيكَها النَأي اِنَّها

عَلى نَأيِها نَصب لِقَلبِكَ مُنصب

So she appeared, absence cannot make you forget her

In her absence, it set up in your heart a monument