كأني وأم العمر لم يجر بيننا

خَليلُ صَفاءٍ لا تخافُ طلائعُه

As if I and the mother of life had never

Known a sincere friend whose advances she would not fear,

ولم ألق أُمَّ العَمرِ سراً ولم أقل

لها مَوهِناً والليلُ قد نام هاجعُهُ

And I had never confided in her a secret, nor spoken

To her a word of love, while night's restless sleeper slept.

ألم تعلمي أن التلاقي لم يكد

يكونُ وأنَّ الهجر لا بد تابعُه

Do you not know that no sooner had we met

Than we were parted, and that separation ever follows union?