1. تائِهٌ ما أَصلَفَه

    وَيحَ صَبٍّ أَلِفَه

    A haughty one—how insolent he is!

    Alas for a lovesick man who grew fond of him!

  2. كادَ أَن يُتلِفَهُ

    لَيتَهُ لَو أَتلَفَه

    He almost destroyed him.

    If only he had destroyed him!

  3. أَيُّ رَوضٍ زاهِرٍ

    لَم أَصِل أَن أَقطُفَه

    What a flowering garden—

    I could not reach it to pluck it!

  4. وَقَضيبٍ ناعِمٍ

    لَم أُطِق أَن أَعطِفَه

    And a tender bough—

    I could not bend it!

  5. أَخلَفَ الوَعدَ وَما

    خِلتُهُ أَن يُخلِفَه

    He broke the promise, and I never

    Thought he would break it.

  6. بَينَنا مَعرِفَةٌ

    يا لَها مِن مَعرِفَه

    There is an acquaintance between us—

    Oh, what an acquaintance!

  7. أَشبَهَ البَدرَ وَحا

    كاهُ إِلّا كَلَفَه

    He resembled the full moon and mirrored

    It, except for its dark spots.

  8. يَستَعيرُ الغُصنُ إِن

    ماسَ مِنهُ هَيَفَه

    The bough borrows, when

    It sways, its slenderness from him.

  9. فَوقَ خَدَّيهِ لَنا

    وَردَةٌ فَوقَ الصِفَه

    Upon his cheeks, for us,

    A rose beyond description.

  10. قَوِيَت بَهجَتُها

    وَتُسَمّى مُضعَفَه

    Its splendor has grown strong,

    Yet it is called 'double-petaled' ('weakened').

  11. فاتِرُ الأَلحاظِ وَه

    يَ سُيوفٌ مُرهَفَه

    His glances are languid, yet

    They are finely sharpened swords.

  12. أَنا مِنها مُدنَفٌ

    وَهيَ مِنّي مُدنَفَه

    I am lovesick because of them,

    And they are lovesick because of me.