1. وريحانَةٍ في النفس مَنبِتُ غُصْنها

    لها نَفَسٌ يُحْيي بنفحتِهِ النّفسا

    And a basil plant whose branch takes root in the soul,

    She has a breath that revives the soul with its fragrance.

  2. إذا أقْبلتْ كانتْ بتقْويمِ خَلْقِها

    وَمِشْيَتِها بِالشمسِ تَستَوقِفُ الشَّمسا

    When she approaches, with her well-proportioned form

    And her gait, she halts the sun with the sun.

  3. فتاةٌ إذا استعطفتَ باللين قلبها

    على الصّبّ أضحى وهو من حجرٍ أَقسى

    A maiden: if you gently seek to soften her heart

    Toward the lovesick lover, it becomes harder than stone.

  4. ولا شكّ أنَّ الماء رطبٌ وكلّما

    سَقَيْتَ حديداً فيه زادَ به يُبْسا

    And surely water is moist; yet whenever

    You quench iron in it, its hardness grows thereby.