1. قوم يا مرسال يا طير الحَمام

    عا بلاد الشام وَديلي سَلام

    Rise, O messenger, O dove.

    Carry my greetings to the lands of al-Sham.

  2. إن كان هجرك طال يا بدر البُدور

    نَفسي عزت مني عَلى الدُنيا السَلام

    If your estrangement has lasted long, O full moon of moons,

    My soul is slipping from me—farewell to the world.

  3. إِن كان هَجرك طال يا بَدر البُدور

    يا نُور عيني وَمُهجَتي جو الصُدور

    If your estrangement has lasted long, O full moon of moons,

    O light of my eye and my lifeblood within the breast,

  4. يا رين لَو كُنا هفينا بالقبور

    وَخان فينا دَهرنا وَالوَقت جار

    O beautiful one [reading uncertain], even if we fell into graves,

    And our fate betrayed us and time turned cruel,

  5. بيضل فكري فيك يا نارا وَنور

    دُوم دايم يا حلو ليل وَنهار

    My thoughts would remain with you, O fire and light,

    Forever and always, O sweet one, night and day.

  6. يا بو خدود معطرة وَعيون حور

    يا بَدر يا ريان بانور النوار

    O you with perfumed cheeks and bright, dark-pupilled eyes,

    O full moon, O lush one in the radiance of blossoms [reading uncertain],

  7. كان قَصدك تنجد المنضام زور

    وَشوف حالة صاحبك حال العدام

    If you mean to rescue the wronged one, come visit,

    And see your companion's plight—a state of utter ruin.

  8. شوف حالة صاحبك في أَي حال

    عقب مربات المعزة وَالدَلال

    See your companion's condition, the state he is in,

    After being nurtured with affection and indulgence.

  9. يا زين من عظم البَلايا وَالهَوال

    انهد حيلي وَالقوى وَالراس شاب

    O beautiful one, from the enormity of afflictions and terrors,

    My strength and vigor have collapsed, and my head has turned gray.

  10. هما حملته ما يشيلوه الجبال

    من البَلاوي وَالمَصائب وَالعَذاب

    I have borne a sorrow the mountains could not carry,

    Of afflictions, calamities, and torment.

  11. وَزاد قَلبي هم هجران الغَزال

    أَبو كذيلة مثل جنحان الغراب

    And the gazelle's desertion has deepened my heart's sorrow,

    The one with a forelock like a raven's wings.

  12. يا حلو كان القتل في شرعك حلال

    غيب عني بس يا بَدر التَمام

    O sweet one, if killing is lawful by your law,

    Just vanish from me, O moon in all your fullness.

  13. غيب عني بس يا بَدر الظَلام

    يا صاحب الهندام يا راعي الزمام

    Just vanish from me, O full moon of the darkness.

    O finely dressed one, O keeper of the reins,

  14. سير بانجابنا قبل الظَلام

    فَوق حره مثل هفهوف النَسيم

    Set out on our noble mounts [reading uncertain] before darkness,

    Upon a purebred she-camel, like a waft of breeze.

  15. وَخوذ مني لا مني رُوحي سَلام

    شُوف عُينو يا معتر عين ريم

    And carry my greetings to the desire of my soul.

    Look at his eye, O poor fellow—the eye of a gazelle.

  16. قلو وليفك صار في حال العدام

    يا حلو قتل النَفس في شَرعي حَرام

    Tell him: your beloved has fallen into utter ruin.

    O sweet one, taking a life is forbidden by my law.

  17. حَرام قتل النَفس في شَرع الهَوى

    يا بو الغَوى هديت حيلي وَالقوى

    Taking a life is forbidden by the law of love.

    O alluring one, you have shattered my strength and vigor.

  18. ما يوم قالوا اِرتاح طراد الهَوى

    مَضى زَماني في البَلاوي وَالهوال

    Never have they said that the pursuer of love found rest.

    My years have passed amid afflictions and terrors.

  19. يا عين من الغوا مالك لوا

    جوحي وَنوحي الجوح في عرفي حَلال

    O eye, passion has left you no refuge [reading uncertain].

    Wail and lament; wailing is lawful in my custom.

  20. يا فابني غصن العُلا اليوم التوا

    وَالقَمر في أَوله يَبقى هلال

    O [unclear address], the bough of glory has bent today.

    And the moon, at its beginning, is still a crescent.

  21. يا عين جرحك حاض عارش الَدوا

    وَلا بقي مِن جثتي غَير العِظام

    O eye, your wound—[the wording about the remedy is unclear].

    And nothing remains of my body but bones.

  22. ما بقي من جثتي غير اليسير

    يا صاحب الهندام وَالكسم النَضير

    Nothing remains of my body but very little.

    O finely dressed one with a radiant figure,

  23. يا طير خوذ رسالتي وامشي وَطير

    احفظ كَلامي يا معود وَالسرار

    O bird, take my letter, go, and fly.

    Keep my words and secrets, O trained one.

  24. من الصبح بكير عجل بالمسير

    وَانتَ طير الباز من موكر حرار

    Early in the morning, hasten on your journey.

    And you are a hawk from a nest of noble birds.

  25. قلو العلامة الملتقى عند الغَدير

    وَشيح دَخلك يا مُنى رُوحي مَزار

    Tell him the sign: the rendezvous is beside the pool.

    And Shih [possibly a place-name], I beg you, O desire of my soul, is a place to visit.

  26. وَيقول لك أَنا مُشتاق ليهم كثير

    جبلي جَواب رِسالَتي وَاِرجَع قَوام

    And he says to you: I long for them very much.

    Bring me the reply to my letter, and return at once.

  27. جبلي جَواب رَسالتي قَبل العشا

    مِن عِند مَسلوب الجَدايل وَالحَشا

    Bring me the reply to my letter before supper,

    From the one with long braids and a slender waist.

  28. يا وَليفي مثل زولك ما نشا

    شُوف عَقلي مِن غَرامك كيف طاش

    O my beloved, no figure like yours has ever come to be.

    See how my mind has reeled from love for you.

  29. مثل غُصن البان مَسلوب الحَشا

    ريم جافل ما يوالف للحواش

    Like a bough of the ban tree, slender-waisted,

    A skittish gazelle that will not take to the hunters.

  30. بالرصانة إِن قام أَبو كذيله وَمَشى

    بِالستاري وَالخَزاري وَالقماش

    With poise, when the forelocked one rises and walks,

    In satari, khazari, and cloth,

  31. قُلت أَنا نجمة صبيحه وَالعَشا

    بازغة مِن تحت خَدو وَاللثام

    I said: a star of morning and evening,

    Shining forth from beneath his cheek and veil.