أَيُّها القَلبُ ما أَراكَ تَفيقُ

طالَ ما قَد تَعَلَّقَتكَ العَلوقُ

O heart, why do I see you awaken?

Long has attachment ensnared you,

هَل لَكَ اليَومَ إِن نَأَت أُمُّ بَكرٍ

وَتَوَلَّت إِلى عَزاءٍ طَريقُ

If today the mother of Bakr comes

And takes to solace the road,

مَن يَكُن مِن هَوى حَبيبٍ قَريباً

فَأَنا النازِحُ البَعيدُ السَحيقُ

Who is near to the love of a beloved,

Then I am the distant, far-off outcast,

قُدِّرَ الحُبُّ بَينَنا فَاِلتَقَينا

وَكِلانا إِلى اللِقاءِ مَشوقُ

Love between us was predestined, so we met

And both of us were eager for the meeting,

فَاِلتَقَينا وَلَم نَخَف ما لَقينا

لَيلَةَ الخَيفِ وَالمُنى قَد تَسوقُ

We met and did not conceal what we encountered

The night of fear and of purpose that leads,

وَجَرى بَينَنا فَجَدَّدَ وَصلاً

حوَّلٌ قُلَّبُ اللِسانِ رَفيقُ

And between us occurred, renewing a bond,

A fickle one, inconstant of tongue, a comrade,

لا تَظُنّي أَنَّ التَراسُلَ وَالبَذ

لَ بِكُلِّ النِساءِ عِندي يَليقُ

Think not that correspondence and gift-giving

Are proper from me for all women,

إِنَّ مِنهُنَّ لِلكَرامَةِ أَهلاً

وَالَّذي بَينَهُنَّ بَونٌ سَحيقُ

Some of them are indeed worthy of honor,

And between them and me is a far span.