1. علِّليني يا عَبدَ أَنتِ الشِفاءُ

    وَاِترُكي مايَقولُ لي الأَعداءُ

    Console me, O ʿAbd; you are the cure.

    And disregard what my enemies say to me.

  2. كُلُّ حَيٍّ يُقالُ فيهِ وَذو الحِل

    مِ مُريحٌ وَلِلسَفيهِ الشَقاءُ

    Every living person is spoken of; the person of

    forbearance is at ease, while the fool has misery.

  3. لَيسَ مِنّا مَن لا يُعابُ فَأَغضي

    رُبَّ زارٍ بادٍ عَلَيهِ الزَراءُ

    None of us goes uncriticized, so overlook it.

    Many a faultfinder bears plainly visible disgrace.

  4. أَنا مَن قَد عَلِمتِ لا أَنقُضُ العَه

    دَ وَلا تَستَخِفُّني الأَهواءُ

    I am the one you know: I do not break my

    pledge, nor do passions carry me away.

  5. وَعَجيبٌ نَكثُ الكَريمِ وَلِلنَفسِ

    مَعادٌ وَلِلحَياةِ اِنقِضاءُ

    Strange is a noble person's breach of faith; the soul has

    a return, and life an end.

  6. فَاِذكُري حَلفَتي أَقارِفُ أُخرى

    يَومَ زَكّى تِلكَ اليَمينَ البُكاءُ

    So remember my oath about consorting with another,

    on the day when weeping affirmed that oath.

  7. يَومَ لا تَحسَبي يَميني خِلاباً

    بِيَميني تُوَقَّرُ الأَحشاءُ

    On that day, do not think my oath deceitful:

    by my oath, the innermost heart is held in honor.

  8. فَتَصَدَّت بَعدَ الصُدودِ وَقالَت

    قَتَلَتني أَنفاسُكَ الصُعَداءُ

    Then she came forward after turning away, and said:

    “Your deep sighs have slain me.”

  9. قُلتُ نَفسي الفِدا عَلى عادَةٍ مِن

    ني جَرى ما جَرى وَقَلبي بَراءُ

    I said, “My soul be your ransom! It was from a habit of

    mine that what happened happened; my heart is innocent.

  10. فَاِعذُريني يا شِقَّةَ النَفسِ إِنّي

    تُبتُ مِمّا مَضى وَعِندي وَفاءُ

    So forgive me, O half of my soul; I

    have repented of what is past, and I remain faithful.”

  11. وَجَوارٍ إِذا تَحَلَّينَ لَم تَد

    رِ أَشاءٌ في حَليِها أَم نِساءُ

    And maidens who, when adorned, leave you unable

    to tell whether they are young palms in jewels or women.

  12. يَومَ سِلوانَ إِذ يُنادينَني أَق

    بِل إِلَينا فَعِندَنا ما تَشاءُ

    On the day of Silwān, when they called to me, “Come

    to us, for we have whatever you wish.”

  13. يَتَعَرَّضنَ لي بِفاتِرَةِ الطَر

    فِ إِذا أَقبَلَت ثَناها الحَياءُ

    They sought to entice me with a maiden of languid

    gaze; when she approached, modesty turned her back.

  14. كَمَهاةِ الكِناسِ تَطوي لَنا النَف

    سَ عَلى وَدَّةٍ وَفينا جَفاءُ

    Like an oryx in its covert, she folds her

    soul around affection for us, though we are cold.

  15. رُحنَ يَدعونَني إِلَيها فَأَمسَك

    تُ بِسَمعي فَضاعَ ذاكَ الدُعاءُ

    They kept calling me to her, but I stopped

    my ears, and that summons was wasted.

  16. ضامَهُنَّ الَذي تَمَنَّينَ شُغلي

    بِفَتاةٍ مِنها التُقى وَالحَياءُ

    What they had hoped for distressed them: my absorption

    in a maiden whose qualities are piety and modesty.

  17. نَعِمَت في الصِبا فَلَمّا اِسبَكَرَّت

    خَفَّ قُدّامُها وَجَلَّ الوَراءُ

    She lived in comfort in youth; when she grew tall,

    her front was slender and her rear ample.

  18. وَرَآها النِساءُ تَغلو فَسَب

    ن غَلاءً لَمّا اِستَبانَ الغَلاءُ

    The women saw her rising in worth, and cursed [reading uncertain]

    that high worth, once her value became plain.

  19. هِيَ كَالشَمسِ في الجَلاءِ وَكَالبَد

    رِ إِذا قُنِّعَت عَلَيها الرِداءُ

    She is like the sun when unveiled, and like the full

    moon when a cloak is drawn over her.

  20. أُنسِيَت قَرقَرَ العَفافِ وَفي

    العَينِ دَواءٌ لِلناظِرينَ وَداءُ

    She was made to forget the tunic of chastity; and in her

    eye are both a cure and a sickness for those who gaze.

  21. فَخمَةٌ فَعمَةٌ بَرودُ الثَنايا

    صَعلَةُ الجيدِ غادَةٌ غَيداءُ

    Imposing, full-bodied, with cool front teeth,

    slender-necked, a tender maiden, gracefully swaying.

  22. أُزِّرَت دِعصَةً وَتَمَّت عَسيباً

    مِثلَ أَيمِ الغَادَعاهُ الأَباءُ

    Girdled with a sand-mound, and grown tall as a palm stalk,

    like a serpent [the wording about reeds is unclear].

  23. وَثَقالُ الأَوصالِ سَربَلَها الحُسنُ

    بَياضاً وَالرَوقَةُ البَيضاءُ

    Heavy of limb, beauty has clothed her

    in whiteness and fair loveliness.

  24. زانَها مُسفِرٌ وَثَغرٌ نَقِيٌّ

    مِثلُ دُرِّ النِظامِ فيهِ اِستِواءُ

    A radiant face and a pure smile adorn her,

    like pearls on a string, evenly aligned.

  25. وَقَوامٌ يَعلو القِوامَ وَنَحرٌ

    طابَ رُمّانُهُ عَلَيهِ الأَياءُ

    And a stature surpassing every stature, and a bosom

    whose pomegranates are sweet, with sunlight upon it.

  26. وَبَنانٌ يا وَيحَهُ مِن بَنانٍ

    كَنَباتٍ سَقاهُ جَمَّ رَواءُ

    And fingers—ah, what fingers!—

    like plants watered by abundant, refreshing water.

  27. وَلَها وارِدُ الغَدائِرِ كَالكَر

    مِ سَواداً قَد حانَ مِنهُ اِنتِهاءُ

    And she has flowing tresses, like the grapevine

    in blackness, now at their fullest extent.

  28. وَحَديثٌ كَأَنَّهُ قِطَعُ الرَو

    ضِ زَهَتهُ الصَفراءُ وَالحَمراءُ

    And conversation like patches of a

    garden, adorned with yellow and red flowers.

  29. لَم يُعَلَّل بِها سِوايَ وَلَم تَب

    دُ لِنارٍ الصِلاءُ

    No one but me has found solace in her; nor has she appeared

    before a fire for warmth.

  30. وَإِذا أَقبَلَت تَهادى الهُوَينى

    اِشرَأَبَّت ثُمَّ اِستَنارَ الفَضاءُ

    And when she approaches, swaying gently,

    she lifts her head; then the open space grows bright.

  31. لَم تَنَلها يَدي بِحَولي وَلَكِن

    قُضِيَت لي وَهَل يُرَدُّ القَضاءُ

    My hand did not win her through my own power, but

    she was decreed for me—and can destiny be turned back?

  32. كانَ وُدّي لَها خَبِيّاً فَأَسرَعتُ

    إِلَيها وَالأَمرُ فيهِ اِلتِواءُ

    My love for her was hidden, so I hastened

    to her, while the matter was tangled.

  33. وَسَأَلتُ النِساءَ أَبصَرنَ ما أَبصَرتُ

    مِن حُسنِها فَقالَ النِساءُ

    And I asked the women whether they had seen what I saw

    of her beauty, and the women replied:

  34. دونَ وَجهِ البَغيضِ وَحشَةُ هَولٍ

    وَعَلى وَجهِ مَن تُحِبُّ البَهاءُ

    “Before the face of one you hate lies fearful desolation,

    and on the face of one you love shines beauty.”