أَينَ أَيَّامُنَا اللّواتِي تَقَضَّت

إِذ زَجَرنا لِلوَصلِ أَيمَنَ طَيرِ

Where are the days that passed away,

When we scorned union, in our heyday?

وَائتِلافٌ عَهِدتُه مِن كرامٍ

سَارَ صرفُ النَّوَى بهِ أيّ سَيرِ

A band whose troth was loyalty

Fate scattered, and made sport of prey.

شَعب الدّهر شملَهم بَعدَ جَمعِ

رُبّ نَفع أَزالَهُ حُكمُ ضَيرِ

Time gathered them in unity,

But Fortune came and disarray.

حَكمَ البينُ في مُناهُم فَغَضّوا

لاحتِكَام الفِرَاقِ طَرف نُمَيرِ

They parted to meet no more again,

Turning their backs at Destiny’s fey.

فَتَكَ الحُبُّ فِي سُلُوّي عَنهُم

مِثلَ فَتكِ الحجّاج بابن جُبَيرِ

Love loosed its hold; farewell the twain!

Like Ibn Jubayr whom al-Hajjaj slew.

لَيسَ لي غَيرهم مِن الإِنس أُنسٌ

يا تُرى هَل لَهُم هُنالِكَ غَيري

None now I love save these men alone,

I wonder, is it so with them too?

كُلَّما مَرَّ ذِكرُهم قالَ قَلبِي

ذَكَر اللَّهُ مَن ذَكرتَ بِخَيرِ

When their remembrance comes to me

My heart says, “God bless them with good!”