1. أَسَعيدُ قَد أَعطَيتَني أُضحِيَّةً

    مَكَثَت زَماناً عِندَكُم تُطعَمُ

    O Saʿīd, you have given me a sacrificial animal

    that stayed with you for some time, being fed:

  2. نِضواً تَعاقَرَتِ الكِلابُ بِها وَقَد

    شَدّوا عَلَيها كَي تَموتَ فَيولِموا

    a wasted beast over which the dogs had fought; and already

    they had charged at her so she might die and they might feast.

  3. فَإِذا المَلا ضَحِكوا بِها قالَت لَهُم

    لا تَهزَأوا بي وَاِرحَموني تُرحَموا

    So when the crowd laughed at her, she said to them:

    “Do not mock me; have mercy on me, and you will be shown mercy.”

  4. مَرَّت عَلى عَلَفٍ فَقامَت لَم قَرِم

    عَنهُ وَغَنَّت وَالمَدامِعُ تَسجُمُ

    She passed some fodder and stopped, not budging [reading uncertain]

    from it, and sang as her tears streamed:

  5. وَقَفَ الهَوى بي حَيثُ أَنتَ فَلَيسَ لي

    مُتَأَخَّرُ عَنهُ وَلا مُتَقَدَّمُ

    “Love has held me where you are, so I have

    no retreat from there, nor any advance.”