1. أُنظُروهُ تَرَوا خَيالِي فيهِ

    شفَّهُ سقمهُ فَصارَ شبيهي

    Look at him: you will see my image in him.

    His illness has wasted him, and he has become my likeness.

  2. رَشَأٌ حُسنه يُضاعِف حُبّي

    أَلعَذارى في فَجرِها تَرويهِ

    A young gazelle whose beauty redoubles my love.

    The maidens, in their dawn, tell of him.

  3. فَإِذا ما النُجومُ اَبدَت شُعاعاً

    فَشعاعٌ من حُسنِهِ يُخفيهِ

    And whenever the stars reveal a ray,

    Then a ray of his beauty eclipses it.

  4. وَإِذا ما الصَبا أَذاعَت حَديثاً

    فَالصَبا في حَديثِها تَعنيهِ

    And whenever the east wind spreads a tale,

    Then the east wind speaks of him in its tale.

  5. كَم سَهِرتُ الظَلام أَرعى هَواهُ

    وَأَنا شاخِصٌ بِمرشفِ فيهِ

    How often I kept vigil through the dark, tending my love for him,

    With my gaze fixed upon his lips.

  6. فَكَأَنّي عَبدٌ أَوَدُّ رِضاه

    وَأَنا فاعِلٌ بِما يُرضيهِ

    As though I were a slave, longing for his favor,

    And I do whatever pleases him.

  7. وَمِراراً لَزِمتُ غرفة يَأسي

    أَنظم الشِعر وَالهَوى يُمليهِ

    And often I kept to the chamber of my despair,

    Composing verse while love dictates it.

  8. غُرفَةَ الحُزن أَنتِ تَحوينَ صَدراً

    كلَّ ما في الوُجودِ لا يَحويهِ

    O chamber of sorrow, you contain a breast

    That all existence cannot contain.

  9. يا غَزالاً أَوَيتَ قَلبيَ رِفاً

    صارَ ميتاً ذاكَ الَّذي تأويهِ

    O gazelle who sheltered my heart, be gentle!

    The one you shelter has died.

  10. إِن تَكُن تَستَحِلُّ قَتلَ فُؤادي

    لَيسَ في الحُبِّ غيرُه تَشتَريهِ

    If you deem the killing of my heart lawful,

    In love there is no other heart for you to buy.