بانَت سُلَيمى فَالفُؤادُ قَريحُ

وَدُموعُ عَيني في الرِداءِ سُفوحُ

Sulayma has departed, and the heart is wounded;

the tears of my eyes stream down my robe.

وَلَقَد جَرى لَكَ يَومَ حَزمِ سُوَيقَةٍ

فيما يُعِفُّ سانِحٌ وَبَريحُ

And indeed, on the day of Ḥazm Suwayqa, there crossed your path,

while a sāniḥ and a barīḥ wheeled in flight,

أَحوى القَوادِمِ بِالبَياضِ مُلَمَّعٌ

قَلِقُ المَواقِعِ بِالفِراقِ يَصيحُ

one dark of primary feather, dappled with white,

restless from perch to perch, crying out at separation.

حَسَنٌ لَدَيَّ حَديثُ مَن أَحبَبتُهُ

وَحَديثُ مَن لا يُستَلَذُّ قَبيحُ

Sweet to me is the speech of the one I love;

the speech of one who gives no delight is ugly.

الحُبُّ أَبغَضُهُ إِلَيَّ أَقَلُّهُ

صَرِّح بِذاكَ وَراحَةٌ تَصريحُ

Of love, what I hate most is the least of it.

Say that openly—for open speech is a relief.