كنَّا كَزَوْجَيْ طائرٍ

في دَوْحَةِ الحُبِّ الأَمينْ

We were like a pair of birds

Within the sheltering tree of faithful love,

نَتْلو أَناشيدَ المنى

بَيْنَ الخمائلِ والغُصُونْ

Chanting the hymns of cherished hopes

Amidst the thickets and the boughs,

مُتَغَرِّدينَ مع البَلابلِ

في السُّهولِ وفي الحزونْ

Warbling along with nightingales

Across the plains and rugged hills.

مَلأَ الهَوَى كأْسَ الحَيَاةِ لنا

وشَعْشَعَها الفُتونْ

Passion filled life's chalice for us,

And fascination made it gleam,

حتَّى إِذا كِدْنا نُرَشِّفَ

خَمْرَها غَضِبَ المَنُونْ

But just as we prepared to sip

Its wine, Fate turned in sudden wrath,

فَتَخَطَّفَ الكأسَ الخلوبَ

وحطَّمَ الجامَ الثَّمينْ

And snatched away the enchanting cup,

And shattered the precious goblet there,

وأَراقَ خَمْرَ الحُبِّ

في وادي الكآبَةِ والأَنينْ

Spilling the crimson wine of love

Into the valley of gloom and moans.

وأَهابَ بالحُبِّ الوديعِ

فودَّعَ العُشَّ الأَمينْ

It called out to our gentle love,

Which bade the safe nest a long farewell,

وشدَا بلحنِ الموتِ

في الأُفُق الحزينِ المُسْتَكينْ

And sang the melody of death

Upon the sad and submissive horizon,

ثمَّ اختفى خَلْفَ الغُيومِ

كأَنَّهُ الطَّيفُ الحَزينْ

Then vanished there behind the clouds

As if it were a mournful ghost.

يا أَيُّها القلبُ الشَّجيُّ

إلامَ تُخْرِسُكَ الشُّجونْ

O you, my deeply grieving heart,

How long will sorrow strike you dumb?

رُحْماكَ قَدْ عَذَّبْتَني بالصَّمتِ

والدَّمعِ الهَتُونْ

Have mercy! You torture me with silence

And with the torrent of your tears.

ماتَ الحَبيبُ وكلُّ مَا قَدْ

كُنْتَ ترجو أَن يكونْ

The beloved has died, and all that

You ever hoped that life might be.

فاصْبِرْ على سُخْطِ الزَّمانِ

وما تُصَرِّفُهُ الشُّؤُونْ

So bear with patience Time's disdain

And what the shifting fates decree,

فلَسَوْفَ يُنْقِذُكَ المَنُونُ

ويفرحُ الرُّوحُ السَّجينْ

For Death shall surely rescue you,

And the imprisoned soul rejoice.

وردُ الحَيَاةِ مُرَنَّقٌ

والموتُ مَوْرِدُهُ مَعينْ

The well of life is muddied now,

But Death is a pure and flowing spring.

ولرُبَّما شاقَ الرَّدى الدَّاجي

وأعماقُ المنونْ

Perhaps dark ruin holds a charm,

Within the abysses of the end,

قلباً تُرَوِّعُهُ الحَيَاةُ

ولا تُهادِنُهُ السُّنُونْ

For a heart that Life has terrified,

With whom the years will make no truce,

ومَشَاعِراً حَسْرى يسيرُ بها

القُنُوطُ إلى الجُنونْ

And broken feelings, driven on

By despair towards madness.