1. من يبْكِ من وَجْدٍ على هالِكٍ

    فإنما أبكي على شُسْتَجَهْ

    Whoever weeps in grief for one who has died—

    I weep only over a handkerchief.

  2. جاذبنيها رَشَأٌ أَغِيدٌ

    فجاذَبَ النّفْسَ بها مُحْرَجَهْ

    A lithe young gazelle tugged it back and forth with me,

    and with it tugged at my anguished soul.

  3. بديعةٌ في نَسْجِهَا مِثْلُها

    يُفْقَدُ من يُحْسِنُ أَنْ يَنْسِجَهْ

    A marvel of weaving; as for its like,

    no one who knows how to weave it can be found.

  4. كأنّما دِقَّةُ أسْلاكِها

    من دِقّةِ العُشَّاقِ مُسْتَخْرَجَهْ

    It is as though the fineness of its threads

    were drawn from the slenderness of lovers.

  5. كأنما مَفْتُولُ أَهْدَابِها

    أَيْدي دَبىً في نَسَقٍ مُزْوَجَهْ

    As though the twisted strands of its fringe

    were young locusts’ forelegs, paired in a row.

  6. كأنما تَفْوِيفُ أعْلامِهَا

    طَاوُوسَةٌ تَخْتَالُ أو دُرَّجَهُ

    As though the variegated striping of its patterns

    were a strutting peahen or a francolin.

  7. لبيسةٌ جدَّدَها حُسْنُها

    لا رَثَّةُ السِّلْكِ ولا مُنْهَجَهْ

    Used, yet its beauty has renewed it,

    neither threadbare nor worn through.

  8. كم رُقْعةٍ من عند معشُوقَةٍ

    في الطَيِّ من أثْنَائِها مُدْرَجَهْ

    How many a note from a beloved

    lay tucked away within its folds,

  9. ومسحةٍ من شفةٍ عذْبَةٍ

    تُبْرِدُ حرَّ الكَبِدِ المُنْضَجَهْ

    and many a touch from a sweet lip

    cooled the heat of the scorched liver,

  10. إلى تحِيّاتٍ لِطَافٍ بها

    تُسْكِنُ مِنِّي مُهْجةً مُزعَجَهْ

    along with gentle greetings it bore,

    that calmed the troubled heart within me.

  11. كانَتْ لِمَسْحِ الكاسِ حتى تُرَى

    مِنْها لآثَارِ القَذَى مُخْرَجَهْ

    It served to wipe the cup until it was seen

    with traces of specks removed from it.

  12. وخاتَمِي يُعْقَدُ فيهَا إذا

    آثَرَتْ من كفّي أن أُخْرِجَهْ

    And my ring would be tied inside it whenever

    she preferred that I take it off my hand.

  13. وأتَّقي الجَامَ بها كُلّما

    كلَّلَهُ المازجُ أَوْ تَوَّجَهْ

    And I shield myself from the goblet with it whenever

    the mixer wreathes it or crowns it.

  14. كانت لِمَحْوِ الكتب حتى تَرَى

    آثارَهَا من حُسْنِهَا مُنْهَجَهْ

    It served to erase writings until you saw

    their traces worn away through its excellence.

  15. فاسْتَأْثَرَ الدّهْرُ بها إنّه

    ذو نُوَبٍ مُجْلِيَةٍ مُرْهِجَهْ

    Then Time claimed it for itself; indeed,

    it has vicissitudes that sweep things away and raise dust.

  16. وأَصْبَحَتْ في كُمِّ مختالَةٍ

    مُلْجِمَةٍ في هَجْرِنا مُسْرَجَهْ

    And it ended up in the sleeve of a haughty woman,

    with bridle and saddle for forsaking us.