1. My heart melts for a ruin where love dwells
From the memory which makes hearts ache.
١. ألِمَّا بِى عَلَى دِمَنٍ تَذُوبُ
غَرَاماً مِن تَذَكَّرِهَا القلُوبُ
2. For a time I drew aside the veils of neglect from it,
When misfortunes do not come round.
٢. سَحِبتُ مَطَارِفَ الغفلاتِ فيها
زمانا لا تنوبُ به الخُطُوبُ
3. Neither does any toil afflict the people in it,
Nor in it are they touched by wasting diseases.
٣. ولاَ نَصَبٌ يَمَسُّي القومَ فِيهِ
ولا فَيه يَمَسُّهُمُ لُغُوبٌ
4. I rent with it the garment of every smiling cheek,
And tents and cheek-veils were torn.
٤. شققتُ به جلابيبَ كُلَّ خَودٍ
وشُقِّقَتِ البراقعُ والجُيُوبُ
5. Many a beautiful, delicate, proud-necked damsel
Has sung in its court.
٥. وكَم غَنِيَت بساحِتها فَتَاةٌ
مُهَفهَفَةٌ مُعَمَّةٌ عَرُوبُ
6. Revealed were their abodes plainly,
And the wild cattle were roaming.
٦. وَبانَت عن مَعَاهِدِهَا واضحَت
قِفَاراً والنَّوائِبُ قَد تَنُوب
7. Oh would that the days were as we knew them,
And would that departing fortune might turn back!
٧. فيا ليتَ العهودَ كما عهدنا
وليتَ الدهرَ ذَاهِبُهُ يَئوبَ