معيني عَلى نَفسٍ شتيتٌ جميعُها

(للمياء) من دون الأنام نزوعُها

A helper for a scattered soul am I

Whose inclination is away from people

وَطيفٌ لها وَهْناً أطافَ بمضجعي

فأَوهمني حيناً بأني ضجيعها

An apparition softly floated round my bed

For a moment making me think it was her lying near

كما ارتدَّ طرفٌ ثم أعقب رعشةً

وَقد شخصتْ عيني وَذيد هجوعها

As an eye glanced back and was followed by a tremor

While my eyes were awake though drowsy with her yearning

فما ذات طوقٍ بان عنها أَليفُها

وما مطفلٌ قد ضلَّ منها رضيعها

She is not one whose familiar would abandon her

Nor an intruder who has strayed from her, lost

بأَكثر مني لوعة وتقطعاً

لزائرةٍ ولَّتْ وعَزَّ رجوعها

With more anguish and distress than I

For a visitor who has turned away, her return uncertain

عهودٌ لمن تامَتْ فؤادي وذمةٌ

وإنْ قَدَمَتْ أيامُها لا أَضيعها

A pledge to one who had won my heart and duty

Though her days have passed, I'll not forsake her

رعى الله يومَ (النيربَين) وَليلة

سعدتُ بها حتى تولّى هزيعها

God protect the day of an-Nairbayn and the night

I was happy with her until her departure distressed me

إذا أنا من (لمياءَ) بالموقف الذي

يطأطئُ هامَ العزِّ فيه رفيعها

When I am at al-Lamiya in the stand where

The glorious bow their heads, haughty as they are

تلفتُّ في نصٍ مخافةَ كاشح

إذا استرقَ الأَسرار فهو مذيعها

I look around fearful of a faultfinding critic

Who might steal secrets and spread them around

كطائرةٍ قد أُفلتتْ من حبالةٍ

فما سمعته أَو رأَته يروعها

Like a bird escaped from its tether

Without hearing or seeing anything to alarm it

فما زلتُ أَنفي الخوفَ حتى رأيتها

وقد سكنتْ بالاً وأفرخ روعها

I did not cease dismissing fear until I saw her

Having settled anxiety and hatched its eggs

يدٌ بيدِ نيطتْ وخدٌّ لمثلهِ

أُضيفَ وأَجفان تفيض دموعها

Hand in hand, cheek against its match

Brought together, eyelids pouring out their tears

إذا ما شكوتُ الحبَّ أَمررت كَفَّها

عَلى كبدٍ ما يندملن صدوعها

When I complain of love, she passes her hand

Over a liver that cannot be healed of its wounds

كما كنت لا أَرضى ببذلِ ليانها

حذاراً وبقيا أَنْ يراضَ منيعها

As I was not content with her cool reception

Fearing to arouse dislike in her standoffishness

ولو كنتُ أدري بالذي هو كائنٌ

لأَدرك منها ما يرجّى تبيعها

Had I known what was going to happen

I would have attained what I hoped her price would buy

هممتُ ولم أُقدم ولو كنتُ مقدماً

شفيتُ بها نفساً شديداً ولوعها

I had the intention but did not go ahead, for had I gone ahead

I would have healed with her a soul of intense distress