بَكَى بِدُمُوعِ القَطْرِ جَفْنُ الغَمَائِمِ
فَمَزَّقَ نَحْرُ الزَّهْرِ جَيْبَ الكَمَائِمِ
The eyelids of the clouds wept with drops of rain
And tore open the throat of flowers with stakes
وَنَمَّتْ بِأسْرَارِ الرُّبَى ألْسُنُ الشذَى
فَأدْمَتْ خُدُودَ الوَرْدِ أيْدِي النّسائمِ
The tongues of fragrance grew with the secrets of the meadows
And dyed the cheeks of roses with the hands of breezes
وَقَامَتْ عَلَى عُودِ الأرَاكِ حَمَائِمٌ
تنوحُ عَلَى قَصْفِ الغُصُونِ النَّوَاعِمِ
Doves stood on the boughs of trees
Mourning the twigs of delicate branches
وَصَوَّتَ حَادِي الرَّعْدِ في دَجْنِ غَيْمِهِ
كَمَا زَأرَتْ فِي الغَابِ صِيدُ الضَّرَاغِمِ
The roar of thunder called out in the darkness of its cloud
As prey roared in the forest, seized by predators
وَعَزَّى وَميضُ البرقِ ثَكْلاَءَ رَوْضةٍ
أقَامَ لَهَا القُمْرِيُّ سُوقَ المَآتِمِ
And the flash of lightning consoled the bereaved garden
As the moonlit one held a funeral for it
وَسَلَّتْ يمينُ النَّهْرِ من غمدِ روضِهَا
لِضَرْبِ رِقَابِ المَحْلِ بِيضَ الصَّوَارِمِ
The river’s right hand slipped out of its meadow’s sheath
To behead the meadow’s heads with the blades of swords
وَهَبَّ نَسِيمُ الشَّوْق إذْ خلَّفَ السُّرَى
مَعَالمَ كانت قَبْلُ بيضَ الْمَوَاسِمِ
When the breeze of longing left the encampment
It erased landmarks that were once white seasons
سَرَوْا سَحَراً عَنْهَا فَأقْفَرَ رَبْعُهَا
وَآنَسَهَا سِرْبُ الظِّبَا وَالنَّعَائِمِ
They bid farewell at dawn and its expanse was deserted
Deer and gazelles befriended its empty quarters
وَحَثُّوا مَطَايَا البَيْنِ فِي مَهْمَه الفَلاَ
وَسَارُوا بِلَيْلٍ مِنْ دُجَى الصيد فَاحِمِ
They spurred their steeds in the busy confusion of departure
And travelled by night through the darkness of the hunt
فَقَامَتْ وَقَدْ زُمَّ المَطِيُّ قِيَامَتِي
بِسُوقٍ مِنَ التَّبْرِيحِ وَالوجدِ قَائِمِ
So I stood as the ridden beast stood
In an imminent stance of farewell and fervor
وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهَا إذْ نَأى أهْلُهَا سوَى
رُسُومِ مغَانٍ أقْفَرَتْ مِنْ مَغَانِمِ
And when its people went far, nothing remained
Except sketches of encampments, now devoid of spoils
وَتَغْرِيدِ قُمْرِيٍّ وَإيمَاضِ بَارِقٍ
وَتَصْوِيتِ إرْعَادٍ ولَفْظِ نَوَاسِمِ
The warbling of a francolin, the glimmer of lightning
The roaring thunder, the hissing of rain
وَنَغْمَةِ شُحْرُورٍ وَغُنَّةِ بُلْبُلٍ
وَنَعْبَةِ نَعَّابٍ وَأنَّةِ بَاغِمِ
The song of a bulbul, the tune of a nightingale
The hooting of an owl, the groan of the gloomy sky
