1. فُؤادٌ بِهِ مِن فَقد أَحبابِهِ جَمرُ

    إِذا ما خَبت نيرانُهُ هاجَها الذكر

    A heart with embers within it from the loss of its loved ones:

    Whenever its fires die down, remembrance rekindles them.

  2. تَغيبُهُ الذِكرى وَتُحضِرُهُ المُنى

    فَصَحوٌ وَلا صَحوٌ وَسكر وَلا سُكر

    Remembrance carries it away, and hopes bring it back;

    So sobriety, yet no sobriety; drunkenness, yet no drunkenness.

  3. وَقَلبٌ جَريح حَشوهُ لاعجِ الأَسى

    وَجِفنٌ قَريحٌ بَعد غَزر لَهُ غَزر

    And a wounded heart, filled with the searing pain of grief,

    And a sore eyelid, shedding torrent after torrent of tears.

  4. وَغَير بَديع مِنهُ أَن يُمطر الدَما

    إِذا اِجتَمَع الشَوق المُبرّح وَالهَجر

    And it is no wonder that it should rain blood,

    When agonizing longing and abandonment unite.

  5. فَكَيفَ وَقَد شَطَت بِنا غُربة النَوى

    وَأَصبَح مِن دون اللُقا البَر وَالبَحر

    How, then, when separation's exile has carried us far away,

    And land and sea now stand between us and reunion?

  6. بِنَفسيَ سحار الجُفون إِذا رَنا

    تَبَدَّد لُبُّ الصَب وَاِنكَشَف السر

    My soul be ransom for him whose eyelids bewitch: when he gazes,

    The lovesick lover's wits scatter, and the secret is laid bare.

  7. تَكلمني بَينَ الوشاة لِحاظُهُ

    فَأَقضي بِها وَجداً وَأَحيا وَلَم يَدروا

    His glances speak to me among the talebearers;

    So through them I die of longing and live, without their knowing.

  8. وَتَشكو فُتور الجفن خَوف رَقيبهِ

    فَيوحي إِليَّ اللَحظ ما نَفث السحر

    And they lament the eyelid's languor, for fear of his watcher;

    So the glance whispers to me what magic has breathed forth.

  9. تَجافيت يا مَولايَ عَني فَخانَني

    شَبابي وَجارَ السُقم وَاِنحَرَفَ الدَهر

    You turned away from me, my lord; then I was betrayed by

    My youth; sickness oppressed me, and time turned against me.

  10. فَقلب وَلا جسم وَطَرف وَلا كَرى

    وَشَوق وَلا قَلب وَلَيل وَلا فَجر

    So a heart, yet no body; an eye, yet no sleep,

    And longing, yet no heart; a night, yet no dawn.

  11. أَكاتم حُسادي وَعُذالي الأَسى

    وَلَو بُحت بِالشَكوى لِلان ليَ الصَخر

    I conceal my grief from my enviers and reproachers;

    And if I voiced my complaint, even rock would soften for me.

  12. أَساءَت بِنا الأَيّام ظُلماً فَبرحت

    وَما بَرحت مِن طَبعِها الظُلم وَالغَدر

    The days wronged us unjustly and sorely tormented us;

    And injustice and treachery have never left their nature.

  13. أَبى الدَهر إِلّا أَن يُكَدر مَشرَبي

    وَهَل نالَ مِن صَفو الزَمان فَتى حُر

    Time would do nothing but muddy my drink;

    And has a noble youth ever had a share of time's serenity?

  14. سأَصرف نَفسي الآن عَن كُل مَطمَع

    وَأَزجرها مَهما يُؤديها الزجر

    I shall now turn my soul away from every object of desire,

    And curb it, whatever rebuke may lead it to.

  15. وَاِقطَع أَيامي بِحُسن تَوَكُل

    وَصَبر عَلى الأَيام ما أَمكَن الصَبر

    And spend my days in sound trust,

    And patience through the days, as long as patience is possible.