1. أَلجِفنُ أَم الخَدُّ القاني

    لا أَعلَمُ أَيُّهما الجاني

    Is it the eyelid or the crimson cheek?

    I do not know which of the two is guilty.

  2. فَعَلى الحالَينِ الإَثنانِ

    هَدما في صَدري بُنياني

    For in either case, both

    Have demolished my edifice within my breast,

  3. وَشَرَعتِ عَلَيهِ تَبنينا

    بُنيانُكِ راسِخُ آساسِ

    And you began to build upon it.

    Your edifice has firm foundations,

  4. يا سَلمى في صَدرِ الياسِ

    شَدَّتهُ الجنُّ بِأَمراسِ

    O Salma, within Elias's breast.

    The jinn have secured it with ropes,

  5. فَغَدا بُنيانُ الأَتعاسِ

    جَبَلاً قَد ضارَعهَ صَنّينا

    So the edifice of woes became

    A mountain rivaled by Sannine.

  6. لَكِ خدٌّ مِثلُ الوَردِ ندي

    ما مَرَّ عَلَيهِ غَيرُ يَدي

    You have a cheek, dewy as a rose,

    Nothing but my hand has passed over it.

  7. لكِن لا أَعلَمُ بَعدَ غدِ

    إِن كانَ سَيَأتي من جُدَدِ

    But I do not know, the day after tomorrow,

    Whether any newcomers will come

  8. لِيَقولوا لي شَرَّفتونا

    فَهَواكِ لَقَد نالَ السِبقا

    To say to me, 'You have honored us.'

    For your love has indeed taken first place;

  9. بِسِواهُ لِساني ما اِنطَلَقا

    وَفُؤادي قَبلاً ما عَشقا

    My tongue has spoken of no other love,

    And my heart had never loved before,

  10. لكِن مُذ مَرَّ بهِ علقا

    فَكَأَنَّ هَواكِ كرنتينا

    But since it passed through your love, it has been caught,

    So it is as though your love were a quarantine.

  11. لا أَبرَحُ أَذكُر ما قُلتِ

    من حَفنَةِ تُربٍ ما أَنتِ

    I never cease to remember what you said.

    You are not made from a handful of dust.

  12. أَنصَفتِ بِقَولِكِ أَنصَفتِ

    فَمنَ الأَزهارِ لَقد جِئتِ

    You were fair in saying it, you were fair,

    For you have indeed come from the flowers,

  13. وَإِلى الأَزهارِ تَعودينا

    And to the flowers you shall return.