1. قَد أَصابَ القَلبَ مِن نُعمِ

    سُقمُ داءٍ لَيسَ كَالسُقمِ

    Because of Nuʿm, the heart has been stricken

    with an illness unlike any other illness.

  2. إِنَّ نُعماً أَقصَدَت رَجُلاً

    آمِناً بِالخَيفِ إِذ تَرمي

    Nuʿm has indeed struck down a man,

    unsuspecting at al-Khayf, as she shoots

  3. بِشَتيتٍ نَبتُهُ رَتِلِ

    طَيِّبِ الأَنيابِ وَالطَعمِ

    with well-spaced teeth, evenly grown,

    sweet in tooth and taste,

  4. وَبِوَحفٍ مائِلٍ رَجَلٍ

    كَعَناقيدِ مِنَ الكَرمِ

    and with thick, cascading, wavy hair,

    like clusters from the grapevine.

  5. عَرَّضَت يَوماً لِجارَتِها

    وَهيَ لا تَبوحُ لي بِاِسمِ

    One day she hinted to her neighbor,

    without openly mentioning me by name:

  6. إِسأَليهِ ثُمَّتَ اِستَمِعي

    أَيُّنا أَحَقُّ بِالظُلَمِ

    “Ask him, then listen:

    which of us is more in the wrong?

  7. وَاِفهَمي عَنّا تَحاوُرَنا

    وَاِحكُمي رَضيتُ بِالحُكمِ

    And understand our exchange of words,

    and judge; I accept the judgment.

  8. وَاِنشُديهِ هَل أَتَيتُ لَهُ

    سَخَطاً مِنّي عَلى عِلمِ

    And ask him earnestly: have I given him

    cause for anger with me, knowingly?

  9. يَأتِكُم مِنّي بِهُجَّتِهِ

    فَلَهُ العُتبى وَلا أَحمي

    Let him bring you his case against me;

    then he shall have amends, and I will not hold back.”