أحْبابَنا هلْ لَنا بعْدَ النّوى طمَعُ

في القُرْبِ أو هلْ زمانُ الأُنْسِ يرْتَجِعُ

Our loved ones, is there still hope after our resolve

Of nearness, or will the time of companionship return?

إذا تذكّرتُ ما بَيْني وبيْنَكُمُ

يكادُ قلبيَ من ذِكْراهُ ينْصَدِعُ

When I remember what was between you and I

My heart almost splits with the memory.

ولّتْ صباحاً رِكابُ القومِ مُسرِعةً

والدّمْعُ ينزِلُ والأنْفاسُ ترتَفِعُ

The riders departed at dawn hurriedly

While tears fell and sighs arose.

ما أمّلوا للحِمى رُجْعَى فلَيْتَهُمُ

لو أنّهُم لجميلِ الصبْرِ قد رجَعوا

They did not hope for recovery from lovesickness, if only

They had returned to the goodness of patience.

ما لِي وللصّبرِ أسْتَجْدي عوارِفَهُ

لكنّهُ سنَنٌ في الحُبّ مُتَّبَعُ

Why do I implore patience when it fails me?

But it is the way of love to persevere.

كُنّا كما شاءَتِ الآمالُ في دَعَةٍ

والوصْلُ متّصِلٌ والشّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعُ

We were at ease as hopes desired,

Reunited and gathered together.

ففرّقَ الدّهْرُ ظُلْماً بينَنا وغَدا

ما كان طوْعَ يدَيْنا وهْوَ مُمْتَنِعُ

Time unjustly separated us and went on

As if what was in our hands was now out of reach.

ما كان ظنّيَ أنّ القُرْبَ يُعقِبُهُ

بعْدٌ ولا أنّ طولَ الوصْلِ ينقَطِعُ

I did not expect nearness to be followed

By distance, nor that long companionship would cease.

ما كُنْتُ أحسِبُ أنّ الوجْدَ يُذهِلُني

كمْ عاشِقٍ غرّهُ من قَبْليَ الطّمَعُ

I did not reckon that passion would make me lose my mind,

How many lovers before me were deluded by hope!

يا مَنْ تملّكَني حُبّاً أيَجْملُ بي

صبْرٌ وعيني على مرْآكَ لا تقَعُ

O you who possessed me with love, how beautiful

Patience is, while my eyes long for the sight of you.

تَضيقُ في عينيَ الدُنْيا إذا أنا لا

أراكَ فيها ورحْبُ الأرضِ مُتَّسعُ

The world seems narrow in my eyes when

I do not see you in it, though the earth is vast.

مَن لي بطَيْفِ خَيالٍ منْكَ يَطْرُقُني

إنّي بأيْسَرِ حظٍّ منْهُ أقْتَنِعُ

If only a phantom image of you would visit me,

I would be content with the slightest glimpse.

راموا سُلُوّيَ عن ربْعٍ حَلَلْتَ بِه

هيْهاتَ ما دونَه في العيْشِ مُنتفَعُ

They asked me to describe the encampment where you stayed,

Alas! Apart from it life brings no profit.

مَن باتَ يَلْقى الذي ألقاهُ منْ ألَمٍ

فليْسَ يعلَمُ ما ياتي وما يدَعُ

He who spends the night suffering what I suffered,

Does not know what will come or what will pass.