يا غابَ بولونَ وَلي
ذِمَمٌ عَلَيكَ وَلي عُهود
O forest of Bologna, my friend
I have pacts with you, unfulfilled pledges
زَمَنٌ تَقَضّى لِلهَوى
وَلَنا بِظِلِّكَ هَل يَعود
An era has passed for passion's sake
In your shade, can it return?
حُلُمٌ أُريدُ رُجوعَهُ
وَرُجوعُ أَحلامي بَعيد
A dream I want to come back
But the return of my dreams is far
وَهَبِ الزَمانَ أَعادَها
هَل لِلشَبيبَةِ مَن يُعيد
If time could bring it back
Can youth return what is past?
يا غابَ بولونَ وَبي
وَجدٌ مَعَ الذِكرى يَزيد
O Bologna's forest, my home
Sorrow grows with memories
خَفَقَت لِرُؤيَتِكَ الضُلو
عُ وَزُلزِلَ القَلبُ العَميد
At the sight of you, my heart fluttered
And the sturdy heart trembled
وَأَراكَ أَقسى ما عَهِد
تُ فَما تَميلُ وَلا تَميد
I see you are harsher than I knew
You neither sway nor bend
كَم يا جَمادُ قَساوَةً
كَم هَكَذا أَبَداً جُحود
How stony, O inanimate one
How eternally thankless
هَلّا ذَكَرتَ زَمانَ كُنّا
وَالزَمانُ كَما نُريد
If only you recalled the days we had
And time was as we wanted
نَطوي إِلَيكَ دُجى اللَيا
لي وَالدُجى عَنّا يَذود
We'd come to you at night's gloom
And the gloom would ward off others
فَنَقولُ عِندَكَ ما نَقو
لُ وَلَيسَ غَيرُكَ مَن يُعيد
To say what we'd say
With none but you to bring it back
نُطقي هَوىً وَصَبابَةٌ
وَحَديثُها وَتَرٌ وَعود
My words are passion and youth
Their talk, melody and vows
نَسري وَنَسرَحُ في فَضا
ئِكَ وَالرِياحُ بِهِ هُجود
We'd stroll and roam your lands
With the winds there, bowing
وَالطَيرُ أَقعَدَها الكَرى
وَالناسُ نامَت وَالوُجود
Grief made the birds land
People slept, and existence too
فَنَبيتُ في الإيناسِ يَغ
بُطُنا بِهِ النَجمُ الوَحيد
We'd spend the night sociably
Lit by the one star above
في كُلِّ رُكنٍ وَقفَةٌ
وَبِكُلِّ زاوِيَةٍ قُعود
At every corner, a stop
At each angle, a seat
نَسقي وَنُسقى وَالهَوى
ما بَينَ أَعيُنِنا وَليد
We'd drink, and passion
Newborn between our eyes
فَمِنَ القُلوبِ تَمائِمٌ
وَمِنَ الجُنوبِ لَهُ مُهود
Amulets from hearts
Cushions for it from cheeks
وَالغُصنُ يَسجُدُ في الفَضا
ءِ وَحَبَّذا مِنهُ السُجود
The branch bows in open space
Blessed is such prostration!
وَالنَجمُ يَلحَظُنا بِعَي
نٍ ما تَحولُ وَلا تَحيد
The star watches us with an eye
Unwavering and intent
حَتّى إِذا دَعَتِ النَوى
فَتَبَدَّدَ الشَملُ النَضيد
Until the tryst called us away
And the sturdy union dispersed
بِتنا وَمِمّا بَينَنا
بَحرٌ وَدونَ البَحرِ بيد
We remained, and between us
A sea, and beyond it, a hand's span
لَيلي بِمِصرَ وَلَيلُها
بِالغَربِ وَهوَ بِها سَعيد
My night is in Egypt, hers
In the West, where she's happy
