1. وَيْلي على من كلُّ عي

    ن أبصرته تُعظمُهْ

    Alas for me, for one whom every eye

    that beholds him holds in awe.

  2. ويضره لبس الغلا

    ئِلِ والشنوفِ ويؤلِمه

    It harms him to wear fine garments

    and earrings, and causes him pain.

  3. لو لامَسَ الوَهْمَ الخفيْ

    يَ أديمَه لجرى دَمُهْ

    If subtle fancy were to touch

    his skin, his blood would surely flow.

  4. أو زارني لم أستطع

    خوفاً عليه ألثمُه

    Or if he visited me, I could not,

    out of fear for him, kiss him.

  5. ظبي يعذِّب مهجتي

    ظلماً وقلبي يرحمُه

    A gazelle torments my soul

    unjustly, yet my heart pities him.

  6. يأبى رضاه وسخطُه

    وصدودُه وتبرُّمُهْ

    His favor and his anger forbid it,

    as do his shunning and his vexation.

  7. لمّا استقل من الهوى

    ما لم أزل أستعظمُه

    When he deemed slight the love

    I had never ceased to hold immense,

  8. ناديته لم يَبْقَ حبْ

    بٌ فوق حبّك أعلمُه

    I called to him: 'There is no love

    I know of greater than my love for you.'