خَبَّروهَا أنِّي مَرِضْتُ فقالتْ

أضنَىً طارِفاً شكا أم تليدَا

They told her I was sick, and she said,

"Is it a burning fever or a new baby leaving him bedridden?"

وأشاروا بأنْ تعودَ وسَادِي

فأبَتْ وهيَ تشتَهِي أنْ تعودَا

And they hinted she should visit my bedside,

But she refused, though she longed to return.

وأتَتْنِي في خِفيةٍ وهي تشكُو

رِقْبةَ الحَيّ والمزارَ البعيدا

She came to me in secret, complaining

Of the neck of the neighborhood spy and the distant shrine.

ورأتْنِي كذا فلم تتمالَكْ

أن أمالتْ علَيَّ عِطْفَاً وجِيدَا

And when she saw me thus, she could not restrain

Herself from leaning her bosom gently against me.

ثم قالتْ لتِرْبها وهيَ تبكي

ويحَ هذا الشبابِ غَضَّاً جديدَا

Then she said to the ashes as she wept,

"Alas for this fresh youth struck down!"

وتولَّتْ بحسرَةِ اليأسِ تُخْفِي

زَفَراتٍ أبَيْنَ إلا صُعُودَا

And she turned away in hopeless sorrow to hide

Sobs that refused to be silenced.

زَوْرَةٌ ما شفَتْ غليلاً ولكنْ

علَّمتْ جمرةَ الفُؤادِ وقُودَا

An untrue visit, that quenched no thirst, but

Taught the embers of my heart to burn.