1. حَثَّ الرِكابُ بِنا وَالقَومُ قَد وَقَفوا

    دونَ الحِمى وَعَلى ضالِ الغَضا عَكَفوا

    The mounts sped on with us, while the people had stopped

    Short of the sanctuary, clinging to the wild lote trees of al-Ghada.

  2. ظَنّوا سَرابَ الفَلا ماءً فَمالَ بِهِم

    عَن مَورِدِ الرَيِّ في الوَعساءِ فَاِعتَسَفوا

    They mistook the desert's mirage for water, and it led them away

    From the thirst-quenching watering place; in soft sands they wandered blindly.

  3. وَأَوهَموا الناسَ رُشداً في الضَلالِ فَكَم

    وَجهٍ إِلى الغَيِّ عَن نَهجِ الهُدى صَرَفوا

    They made people see guidance in error—how many

    Faces they turned from guidance's path toward waywardness!

  4. قالوا فَمانوا فَلَمّا أَنَّهُم نُدِبوا

    إِلى القِياسِ أَبانوا العَجزَ وَاِعتَرَفوا

    They spoke and lied; then, when they were summoned

    To reason by analogy, they revealed their incapacity and admitted it.

  5. تَواجَدوا في هَوا لَيلى وَما وَجَدوا

    وَجدي وَلا كَلَفي في حُبِّها كَلِفوا

    They feigned ecstasy in love for Layla, yet never felt

    My ecstasy, nor burned for her with my consuming passion.

  6. وَعَيَّروني بِذُلّي في مَحَبَّتِها

    وَبِالَّذي عَيَّروني تَمَّ لي الشَرَفُ

    And they taunted me for my abasement in loving her;

    Yet what they taunted me for perfected my honor.

  7. هاموا بِأَوصافِها بِالغَيبِ وَاِطَّرَحوا

    عِندَ الشَهادَةِ مِعناها الَّذي وَصَفوا

    They were enamored of her attributes, sight unseen, yet cast aside

    Upon beholding her, the very essence they had described.

  8. وَبِاللِوى عَرَفوها وَهيَ سافِرَةٌ

    وَأَنكَروا بِالمُصَلّى عَينُ ما عَرَفوا

    And at al-Liwa they recognized her, unveiled,

    Yet at the prayer ground denied the very thing they had recognized.