أَضحى التَنائي بَديلاً مِن تَدانينا
وَنابَ عَن طيبِ لُقيانا تَجافينا
Our closeness is now replaced with distance,
And our affection with estrangement.
أَلّا وَقَد حانَ صُبحُ البَينِ صَبَّحَنا
حَينٌ فَقامَ بِنا لِلحَينِ ناعينا
Alas! The dawn of separation has risen upon us,
When the moment took away our companion.
مَن مُبلِغُ المُلبِسينا بِاِنتِزاحِهِمُ
حُزناً مَعَ الدَهرِ لا يَبلى وَيُبلينا
Who will inform those who have departed
Of the endless sorrow they have left behind?
أَنَّ الزَمانَ الَّذي مازالَ يُضحِكُنا
أُنساً بِقُربِهِمُ قَد عادَ يُبكينا
The days that once brought us joy in their company
Now make us weep in their absence.
غيظَ العِدا مِن تَساقينا الهَوى فَدَعَوا
بِأَن نَغَصَّ فَقالَ الدَهرُ آمينا
Enemies rejoiced at our love and called
For our happiness to end - and fate agreed.
فَاِنحَلَّ ما كانَ مَعقوداً بِأَنفُسِنا
وَاِنبَتَّ ما كانَ مَوصولاً بِأَيدينا
What we had tied firmly came undone,
And what we held joined came apart.
وَقَد نَكونُ وَما يُخشى تَفَرُّقُنا
فَاليَومَ نَحنُ وَما يُرجى تَلاقينا
We may still be together, but separation looms ahead,
Today we are united, but reunion seems unlikely.
يا لَيتَ شِعري وَلَم نُعتِب أَعادِيَكُم
هَل نالَ حَظّاً مِنَ العُتبى أَعادينا
If only I knew - though you've caused no offense -
Whether our enemies have gained what they sought!
لَم نَعتَقِد بَعدَكُم إِلّا الوَفاءَ لَكُم
رَأياً وَلَم نَتَقَلَّد غَيرَهُ دينا
After you left, we adhered to none but you,
Neither in creed nor allegiance.
ما حَقَّنا أَن تُقِرّوا عَينَ ذي حَسَدٍ
بِنا وَلا أَن تَسُرّوا كاشِحاً فينا
It was not right that we please envious eyes,
Or make those who resented us glad for our loss.
كُنّا نَرى اليَأسَ تُسلينا عَوارِضُهُ
وَقَد يَئِسنا فَما لِليَأسِ يُغرينا
In hardships, despair would console us,
But now in despair, we find no consolation.
بِنتُم وَبِنّا فَما اِبتَلَّت جَوانِحُنا
شَوقاً إِلَيكُم وَلا جَفَّت مَآقينا
We were brought up together, not once
Did our hearts cease longing or tears run dry,
نَكادُ حينَ تُناجيكُم ضَمائِرُنا
يَقضي عَلَينا الأَسى لَولا تَأَسّينا
When alone, our souls whisper of you,
Grief would consume us, if not for our endurance.
حالَت لِفَقدِكُمُ أَيّامُنا فَغَدَت
سوداً وَكانَت بِكُم بيضاً لَيالينا
Without you, our days turned black,
Though with you, our nights glowed white.
إِذ جانِبُ العَيشِ طَلقٌ مِن تَأَلُّفِنا
وَمَربَعُ اللَهوِ صافٍ مِن تَصافينا
With your loss, life lost its sweetness,
And the hours their delight.
وَإِذ هَصَرنا فُنونَ الوَصلِ دانِيَةً
قِطافُها فَجَنَينا مِنهُ ما شينا
We once culled the fruits of companionship,
Plucking generously those we desired.
لِيُسقَ عَهدُكُمُ عَهدُ السُرورِ فَما
كُنتُم لِأَرواحِنا إِلّا رَياحينا
May your days be like the reign of joy,
For you were the breeze that gave life.
لا تَحسَبوا نَأيَكُم عَنّا يُغَيِّرُنا
أَن طالَما غَيَّرَ النَأيُ المُحِبّينا
Do not think the distance has changed us;
Time has not swayed the hearts of lovers.
وَاللَهِ ما طَلَبَت أَهواؤُنا بَدَلاً
مِنكُم وَلا اِنصَرَفَت عَنكُم أَمانينا
By God, we have not replaced you,
Or turned our hopes to another.
يا سارِيَ البَرقِ غادِ القَصرَ وَاِسقِ بِهِ
مَن كانَ صِرفَ الهَوى وَالوُدُّ يَسقينا
Messenger of lightning, go to the palace and take
Our greetings to the one whose love nourished us.
وَاِسأَل هُنالِكَ هَل عَنّى تَذَكُّرُنا
إِلفاً تَذَكُّرُهُ أَمسى يُعَنّينا
Ask if he remembers us from time to time,
For the memory gives life to our longing.
وَيا نَسيمَ الصَبا بَلِّغ تَحِيَّتَنا
مَن لَو عَلى البُعدِ حَيّا كانَ يُحَيّينا
O breeze of youth, convey our greetings
To one whose greeting, even from afar, gave us life.
فَهَل أَرى الدَهرَ يَقضينا مُساعَفَةً
مِنهُ وَإِن لَم يَكُن غِبّاً تَقاضينا
Will days double our sorrows,
Or treat us with justice long owed?
رَبيبُ مُلكٍ كَأَنَّ اللَهَ أَنشَأَهُ
مِسكاً وَقَدَّرَ إِنشاءَ الوَرى طينا
A prince, as though formed by God from musk
And the clay of men with perfect composition.
أَو صاغَهُ وَرِقاً مَحضاً وَتَوَّجَهُ
مِن ناصِعِ التِبرِ إِبداعاً وَتَحسينا
Or wrought into pure gold and adorned
With brilliant gems in flawless creation.
إِذا تَأَوَّدَ آدَتهُ رَفاهِيَةً
تومُ العُقودِ وَأَدمَتهُ البُرى لينا
When he smiled, his gentle charm
Tamed the stars and made all hearts pliant.
كانَت لَهُ الشَمسُ ظِئراً في أَكِلَّتِه
بَل ما تَجَلّى لَها إِلّا أَحايينا
To him, the radiant sun was a twin,
Or rather, next to him, it paled.
كَأَنَّما أُثبِتَت في صَحنِ وَجنَتِهِ
زُهرُ الكَواكِبِ تَعويذاً وَتَزيينا
As though its flowers were fixed in his garden
Like stars in the heavens, for protection.
ما ضَرَّ أَن لَم نَكُن أَكفاءَهُ شَرَفاً
وَفي المَوَدَّةِ كافٍ مِن تَكافينا
We were not equals in nobility,
But in love we were perfectly matched.
يا رَوضَةً طالَما أَجنَت لَواحِظَنا
وَرداً جَلاهُ الصِبا غَضّاً وَنَسرينا
O meadow where we so often delighted,
With roses by the breeze made fresh.
وَيا حَياةً تَمَلَّينا بِزَهرَتِها
مُنىً ضُروباً وَلَذّاتٍ أَفانينا
O life whose fruits we enjoyed,
Tasting sweetness and fleeting joys.
وَيا نَعيماً خَطَرنا مِن غَضارَتِهِ
في وَشيِ نُعمى سَحَبنا ذَيلَهُ حينا
O bliss we chased heedlessly,
Dragging its train in careless revelry.
لَسنا نُسَمّيكِ إِجلالاً وَتَكرِمَةً
وَقَدرُكِ المُعتَلي عَن ذاكَ يُغنينا
Not to honor or revere you -
Your sublime worth needs no praise.
إِذا اِنفَرَدتِ وَما شورِكتِ في صِفَةٍ
فَحَسبُنا الوَصفُ إيضاحاًّ وَتَبيينا
When peerless, mere words to describe you
Suffice not, but show and clarify.
يا جَنَّةَ الخُلدِ أُبدِلنا بِسِدرَتِها
وَالكَوثَرِ العَذبِ زَقّوماً وَغِسلينا
O eternal Paradise! In your place
We were given Hellfire's Zaqqum and pus.
كَأَنَّنا لَم نَبِت وَالوَصلُ ثالِثُنا
وَالسَعدُ قَد غَضَّ مِن أَجفانِ واشينا
As if, while together, we did not live,
And fortune's eye was shut to our being.
إِن كانَ قَد عَزَّ في الدُنيا اللِقاءُ بِكُم
في مَوقِفِ الحَشرِ نَلقاكُم وَتَلقونا
If reunion in life is beyond reach,
We will meet in the Gathering and be reunited.
سِرّانِ في خاطِرِ الظَلماءِ يَكتُمُنا
حَتّى يَكادَ لِسانُ الصُبحِ يُفشينا
Two secrets hidden in the dark of night,
Nearly exposed ere dawn breaks its seal.
لا غَروَ في أَن ذَكَرنا الحُزنَ حينَ نَهَت
عَنهُ النُهى وَتَرَكنا الصَبرَ ناسينا
No wonder we complain though patience was prescribed,
Reading sorrow then forsaking composure.
إِنّا قَرَأنا الأَسى يَومَ النَوى سُوَراً
مَكتوبَةً وَأَخَذنا الصَبرَ تَلقينا
But we did not replace your love, even when
Its draughts seemed sweet but left bitter thirst.
أَمّا هَواكِ فَلَم نَعدِل بِمَنهَلِهِ
شُرَباً وَإِن كانَ يُروينا فَيُظمينا
We turned from no horizon where you shone,
Abandoning its beauty, or shunning its brilliance.
لَم نَجفُ أُفقَ جَمالٍ أَنتِ كَوكَبُهُ
سالينَ عَنهُ وَلَم نَهجُرهُ قالينا
Not by choice did we avoid it,
But returned against our will.
وَلا اِختِياراً تَجَنَّبناهُ عَن كَثَبٍ
لَكِن عَدَتنا عَلى كُرهٍ عَوادينا
We grieve for you when you are recalled,
Joy floods us, songs carry our laments.
نَأسى عَلَيكِ إِذا حُثَّت مُشَعشَعَةً
فينا الشَمولُ وَغَنّانا مُغَنّينا
No wine-filled cups or melodies entertain,
With cheer or joyful tunes.
لا أَكؤُسُ الراحِ تُبدي مِن شَمائِلِنا
سِيَما اِرتِياحٍ وَلا الأَوتارُ تُلهينا
We will keep our vow, for as long as we have strength,
To be just is to be free.
دومي عَلى العَهدِ ما دُمنا مُحافِظَةً
فَالحُرُّ مَن دانَ إِنصافاً كَما دينا
We gained no new friend to confine us,
Or lover to turn us away.
فَما اِستَعَضنا خَليلاً مِنكِ يَحبِسُنا
وَلا اِستَفَدنا حَبيباً عَنكِ يَثنينا
The full moon rising into our night sky
Could not, but for you, shine its light upon us.
وَلَو صَبا نَحوَنا مِن عُلوِ مَطلَعِهِ
بَدرُ الدُجى لَم يَكُن حاشاكِ يُصبينا
I weep in loyalty, though you bestow no gift,
Apparitions and memories suffice.
أَبكي وَفاءً وَإِن لَم تَبذُلي صِلَةً
فَالطَيّفُ يُقنِعُنا وَالذِكرُ يَكفينا
In your reply is reward, if your fair hands
Continue to tend us with care.
وَفي الجَوابِ مَتاعٌ إِن شَفَعتِ بِهِ
بيضَ الأَيادي الَّتي ما زِلتِ تولينا
Upon you from us is God's peace, lasting
As long as the freshness of youth remains tied to you.
عَلَيكِ مِنّا سَلامُ اللَهِ ما بَقِيَت
صَبابَةٌ بِكِ نُخفيها فَتَخفينا
