1. إِلفانِ كانا لِهَذا الوَصلِ قَد خُلِقا

    داما عَلَيهِ وَدامَ الحُبُّ فَاِتَّفَقا

    Two lovers had been created for this union.

    They held to it, and love endured, so they were in harmony.

  2. كانا كَغُصنَينِ في ساقٍ فَشانَهُما

    رَيبُ الزَمانِ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ فَاِنفَلَقا

    They were like two branches on one trunk; then they were marred

    By time's vicissitudes and its reversals, and they split apart.

  3. وَاِصفَرَّ عودٌ لَها مِن بَعدِ خُضرَتِهِ

    وَأَسقَطَ البَينُ عَن أَغصانِهِ الوَرَقا

    And one of its boughs turned yellow after being green,

    And separation made the leaves fall from its branches.

  4. باتَت عُيونُهُما لِلبَينِ ساهِرَةً

    وَلِلفِراقِ وَلَولا البَينُ ما اِفتَرَقا

    Their eyes stayed wakeful through the night because of separation

    And parting; but for separation, they would not have parted.