أَتاني وَعَرضُ الرَّملِ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

حَديث لأَسرارِ الدُّموعِ مُذِيعُ

He came to me while the sands separated me from him

Telling secrets of tears' sorrows broadcasting

تَصامَمتُ عَن راويهِ حَتّى أَرَبتُهُ

وَإِنّي عَلى ما غالَني لَسَميعُ

I turned away from the narrator until I gained from him

And I am listening to what costs me however high

وَقالَ رَبيعٌ ماتَ فيهِ مُسَلَّم

فَقُلتُ لَهُ بَل ماتَ فيهِ رَبيعُ

And Rabee said, in it died Al-Musallam

So I said to him, no, in it died Rabee

أَبا طاهِرٍ ما كانَ أَلأَم لَيلَةٍ

أَرِقتُ بِها وَالسّاهِرونَ هُجوعُ

Abu Tahir, no night was more painful

Than I stayed awake while the rest were asleep

فَلَهفي عَلى الآمالِ فيكَ فَإِنَّها

نَوائِبُ لَم يُقدَر لَهُنَّ شُروعُ

So my hopes in you make me covetous for they are

Misfortunes that have no foreseen beginnings

وَعَزَّ عَلى ساري الدُّجا أَن يَجوبَهُ

وَمالَكَ مِن دونِ النُّجومِ طُلوعُ

And it was hard for the rising darkness to cover it

While you have no rising but that of stars

أَلومُ عَلَيكَ الوَجدَ وَهوَ مُبَرِّحُ

وَأَعتِبُ فيكَ الدَّمعَ وَهوَ نَجيعُ

I blame passion though it brings delight

And blame tears though they bring relief

وَأَعلَمُ أَنّي ما مَنَحتُكَ طائِلاً

وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا زَفرَة وَدُموعُ

And I know that I never granted you anything

Are they not but a sigh and tears?