1. إِرحَمينا يا نُعمُ مِمّا لَقينا

    وَصِلينا فَأَنعُمي أَو دَعينا

    Have pity on us, O Nuʿm, for what we have suffered.

    And grant us your love; be gracious—or leave us

  2. عَنكِ إِن تَسأَلي فِدىً لَكِ نَفسي

    ثُمَّ تَأتينَ غَيرَ ما تَزعُمينا

    Alone. If you ask—may my soul be your ransom—

    Then you act otherwise than you claim.

  3. إِنَّ خَيرَ النِساءِ عِندي وِصالاً

    مَن تُؤاتي بِوَصلِها ما هَوينا

    Indeed, the best of women, to me, in granting union

    Is she whose union fulfils what we desire.

  4. وَاِذكُري العَهدَ وَالمَواثيقَ مِنّا

    يَومَ آلَيتِ لا تُطيعينَ فينا

    And remember our pledge and solemn vows,

    The day you swore not to heed, concerning us,

  5. قَولَ واشٍ أَتاكِ عَنّا بِصَرمٍ

    أَو نَصيحٍ يُريدُ أَن تَقطَعينا

    The words of a slanderer who brought you talk of our estrangement,

    Or an adviser who wishes you to cut us off.

  6. وَيَميني بِمَثلِ ذَلِكَ أَنّي

    لا أُصافي سِواكِ في العالَمينا

    And my oath to the same effect: that I

    Would give my love to none but you in all the worlds.

  7. ثُمَّ غَيَّرتِ ما فَعَلتِ بِفَعلٍ

    كانَ فيهِ خِلافُ ما تَعِدينا

    Then you changed what you had done by an act

    That ran counter to what you promised us.

  8. فَلَئِن كُنتِ قَد تَغَيَّرتِ بَعدي

    وَرَضيتِ الغَداةَ أَن تَصرِمينا

    So if you have indeed changed in my absence,

    And have consented this morning to sever ties with us,

  9. وَنَسَيتِ الَّذي عَهِدتِ إِلَينا

    في أُمورٍ خَلَونَ أَن تَعلَمينا

    And have forgotten what you pledged to us

    In matters now past—that you would know us—

  10. لا تَزالينَ آثَرَ الناسِ عِندي

    فَاِعلَمي ذاكَ في الهَوى ما حَيِيّنا

    You remain the dearest of all people to me;

    So know this in love, for as long as we live.