1. وَيْحَ قَلْبِ المُحِبِّ ماذا يُقاسِي

    كُلُّ قَلْبٍ عَلَيهِ كَالصَّخْرِ قَاسِ

    Alas for the lover's heart—what it endures!

    Every heart is hard as rock toward it.

  2. يا جُفُونِي أَيْنَ الدُّمُوعُ فَقَد أَحْ

    رَقَ قَلْبِي تَوَقُّدُ الأَنْفاسِ

    O my eyelids, where are the tears? For burned

    is my heart by the blazing of breaths.

  3. جَدَّ وَجْدِي بِحُبِّ لاَهٍ وَأَوْدَى

    بِفُؤَادِي تَذْكَارُهُ وَهْوَ نَاسِ

    My passion has grown fierce through love of one heedless; ruined

    is my heart by remembrance of him, while he forgets.

  4. مِنْ بَنِي التُّرْكِ لَيِّنُ العِطْفِ قاسِي الْ

    قَلْبِ سَهْلُ الْخِداَعِ صَعْبُ المِراسِ

    Of the sons of the Turks, supple of waist, hard of

    heart, easy to deceive, hard to handle.

  5. ضَيِّقُ العَيْنِ وَهْوَ مِنْ صِفَةِ البُخْ

    لِ فَإِنْ جَادَ كانَ ضِدَّ القِياسِ

    Narrow-eyed, and that is a sign of stinginess;

    so if he gives generously, it defies the rule.

  6. جَذَبَ القَوْسَ فَاكْتَسَتْ وَجْنَتَاهُ

    ثَوْبَ وَرْدٍ طِرازُهُ مِنْ آسِ

    He drew the bow, and his cheeks put on

    a robe of roses, its embroidery of myrtle.

  7. وَرَمَى عَنْ قَوْسَيْنِ سَهْمَيْنِ هذَا

    فِي فُؤَادِي وَذاكَ فِي القِرْطاسِ

    And he shot two arrows from two bows: this one

    into my heart, and that one into the paper target.

  8. فَهُوَ تَحْتَ السِّلاحِ لَيْثُ عَرِينٍ

    وَهْوَ فَوْقَ الفِراشِ ظَبْيُ كِنَاسِ

    So, under arms he is a lion in its lair,

    and on the bed he is a gazelle in its covert.

  9. يَا نَدِيْمِي بِاللَّهِ غَنِّ بِذِكْرا

    هُ وَمَوِّهْ عَنْ رِيْقِهِ بِالكَاسِ

    O my drinking companion, by God, sing of

    him, and veil his saliva with talk of the cup.

  10. وَاغْتَنِمْ لَذَّةَ الزَّمانِ فَما جِلَّ

    قُ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهْوِ وِالإِيْنَاسِ

    And seize the pleasure of time, for Jillaq

    is nothing without merriment and companionship.

  11. حَبَّذَا النَّيْرَبَانِ مِنْ نَهْرِ ثَوْرَا

    وَاخْضِرَارُ المُرُوجِ مِنْ بَانَاسِ

    How lovely the two Nayrabs by the River Thawra,

    and the meadows' greenness from Banas!

  12. وَالنَّسِيمُ الَّذِي يَمُرُّ عَلى الغُو

    طَةِ رَيَّانَ عَاطِرَ الأنْفاسِ

    And the breeze that passes over al-Ghutah,

    moisture-laden and fragrant of breath!

  13. بَلْدَةٌ حَلَّهَا الوَزِيرُ فَمَرْعَا

    هَا خَصِيبٌ وَالنّاسُ فِي أَعْراسِ

    A town where the minister has settled; so its pasture

    is fertile, and the people are amid wedding feasts.

  14. قُلْ لِرَائِيْهِ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّ

    اسِ هذَا الوَزِيرُ رَبُّ النَّاسِ

    Tell whoever sees him to say: 'I seek refuge in the Lord of

    mankind'; this minister is the lord of mankind.

  15. هَيْبَةٌ تَمْلأُ القُلُوبَ وَشَخْصٌ

    تَمْتَلِي مِنْهُ أَعْيُنُ الجُلاَّسِ

    Awe that fills hearts, and a figure

    that fills the eyes of those seated with him.

  16. وَذَكَاءٌ يَسْتَنْقِصُ الأبْحُرَ السَّبْ

    عَ وَحِلْمٌ لَهُ تَخِرُّ الرَّوَاسِي

    And an intellect that makes the seven seas seem small,

    and forbearance before which the firmly rooted mountains fall.