خُذي حَدِّثينا يا قُرَيبُ الَّتي بِها

أَهيمُ فَما تَجزي وَما تَتَحَوَّبُ

Tell me, my neighbor, about her

For whom I pine, in vain it avails me not

أُشَوَّقُ أَن تَنأى بِنائِلَةَ النَوى

وَهَل يَنفَعَنّي قُربُها لَو تَقَرَّبُ

I long that she turn her abode away

And does her nearness profit me if she draws near?

فَإِن تَتَقَرَّب يُسكِنِ القَلبَ قُربُها

كَما النَأيُ مِنها مُحدِثُ الشَوقِ مُنصِبُ

If she draws near, her nearness calms my heart

As distance from her excites longing in me

فَهَل تُجزِيَنّي أُمُّ بِشرٍ بِمَوقِفي

عَلى النَخلِ يَومَ البَينِ وَالعَينُ تَسكُبُ

Can Umm Bishr avail me in my stance

At the palm tree on the day of parting, as my eyes pour forth tears?

وَإِنّي لَها سِلمٌ مُسالِمُ سِلمِها

عَدُوٌّ لِمَن عادَت بِها الدَهرَ مُعجَبُ

For her I am a submitting peacemaker if she is at peace

An enemy to those with whom fate has enthralled her

أَبَيني اِبنَةَ التَيميِّ فيمَ تَبَلتِهِ

عَشِيَّةَ لَفَّ الهاجِمينَ المُحَصَّبُ

The daughter of Taym denied me though I implored her

One evening as the assailants gathered fully armed

خُذي العَقلَ أَو مِنّي وَلا تَمثُلي بِهِ

وَفي العَقلِ دونَ القَتلِ لِلوِترِ مَطلَبُ

Take my reason or take me, do not mimic it

For within reason, not murder, lies the goal of the bowstring