1. أَبالبينِ أَمسى أَسفَلَ العَينِ يَلْمَعُ

    أَمِ الهَجرُ يَخشاهُ الفُؤادُ المُرَوِّعُ

    Is it parting that has set tears glistening beneath the eye,

    or estrangement that the fearsome heart dreads?

  2. فَيا سِلمُ لا ودع عَلى العَيشِ دائِمٍ

    وَلا الوَصْلُ إِلَّا رَيثَما يَتَقَطَّعُ

    So, O Silm, no ease in life endures,

    and union lasts only until it breaks apart.

  3. فَلَو أَنَّ إِذ لَم تَجِنّ نَصيحَةً

    أَجَنَّ الهَوى مِنها ضَميرٌ وَأَضلُعُ

    If only, when she harbored no sincere goodwill,

    my heart and ribs had hidden my passion from her.

  4. وَلَو أَنَّها إِذ لَم تَجِدْنا بنائِلٍ

    تعَمّي عَلى الواشي كَما كُنتُ أَصنَعُ

    And if only she, when she did not find us generous,

    would keep the talebearer in the dark, as I used to do.

  5. أَتانا رَسولٌ مِن سُلَيْمى بِأَنَّنا

    غَنينا وَقَد يُغنى المُحِبُّ وَيَنفَعُ

    A messenger came to us from Sulayma, saying that we

    had grown wealthy; a lover may indeed be enriched and be of use.

  6. وَبَعضُ الغِنى مِمّا يَزيدُ ذَمامَةً

    وَبَعضُ الغِنى مِمّا يَزيدُ وَيَرفَعُ

    And some wealth increases ugliness,

    and some wealth brings increase and elevation.