هَل تَيَّمَ البانُ فُؤادَ الحَمام

فَناحَ فَاِستَبكى جُفونَ الغَمام

Has the estrangement made the lover’s heart mournful,

So he weeps and the clouds' eyes shed tears?

أَم شَفَّهُ ما شَفَّني فَاِنثَنى

مُبَلبَلَ البالِ شَريدَ المَنام

Or did what healed me injure him, so he recoiled,

Confused in anguish, his dreams scattered?

يَهُزُّهُ الأَيكُ إِلى إِلفِهِ

هَزَّ الفِراشِ المُدنَفَ المُسَتهام

Yearning shakes his frame towards his beloved,

It shook the nest, disturbing the settled dove.

وَتوقِدُ الذِكرى بِأَحشائِهِ

جَمراً مِنَ الشَوقِ حَثيثَ الضِرام

And remembrance ignites within his essence

Embers of passion, fiercely blazing.

كَذَلِكَ العاشِقُ عِندَ الدُجى

يا لِلهَوى مِمّا يُثيرُ الظلام

Thus is the lover at dusk—

Oh, for love, what darkness stirs!

لَهُ إِذا هَبَّ الجَوى صَرعَةٌ

مِن دونِها السِحرُ وَفِعلُ المُدام

He is overpowered when passion kindles,

Beyond it only sorcery and wine’s doing.

يا عادِيَ البَينِ كَفى قَسوَةً

رَوَّعتَ حَتّى مُهَجاتِ الحَمام

O critic of severance, enough cruelty—

You have terrified even the hearts of doves.

تِلكَ قُلوبُ الطَيرِ حَمَّلتَها

ما ضَعُفَت عَنهُ قُلوبُ الأَنام

You have burdened those birds’ hearts

With what has overwhelmed people’s hearts.

لا ضَرَبَ المَقدورُ أَحبابَنا

وَلا أَعادينا بِهَذا الحُسام

Destiny has not struck down our loved ones,

Nor made enemies of us with this sword.

يا زَمَنَ الوَصلِ لَأَنتَ المُنى

وَلِلمُنى عِقدٌ وَأَنتَ النِظام

O era of union, you are the wish fulfilled,

And with the fulfilled wish you are its order.

لِلَّهِ عَيشٌ لي وَعَيشٌ لَها

كُنتَ بِهِ سَمحاً رَخِيَّ الزِمام

A life for me and a life for her, through you

I was indulgent, with loosened reins.

وَأُنسُ أَوقاتٍ ظَفِرنا بِها

في غَفلَةِ الأَيّامِ لَو دُمتَ دام

And the joy of times we gained

Unaware in days, if only you had remained.

لَكِنَّهُ الدَهرُ قَليلُ الجَدى

مُضَيَّعُ العَهدِ لَئيمُ الذِمام

But time is seldom loyal,

Breaking pledges, ungenerous.

لَو سامَحَتنا في السَلامِ النَوى

لَطالَ حَتّى الحَشرِ ذاكَ السَلام

Had we bid farewell in amity,

That peace would have lasted till Resurrection.

وَلَاِنقَضى العُمرانُ في وَقفَةٍ

نَسلو بِها الغُمضَ وَنَسلو الطَعام

And life would pass in a gathering

Where we rest eyes and rest provision.

قالَت وَقَد كادَ يَميدُ الثَرى

مِن هَدَّةِ الصَبرِ وَهَولِ المَقام

She said—and the ground almost collapsed

From the shock of patience and awe of the situation.

وَغابَتِ الأَعيُنُ في دَمعِها

وَنالَتِ الأَلسُنُ إِلّا الكَلام

Eyes disappeared in her tears

And tongues, save lamenting, fell silent.

يا بَينُ وَلّى جَلَدي فَاِتَّئِد

وَيا زَماني بَعضُ هَذا حَرام

O separation, my skin is worn—restrain yourself

And O my time, some of this is forbidden.

فَقُلتُ وَالصَبرُ يُجاري الأَسى

وَاللُبُّ مَأخوذٌ وَدَمعي اِنسِجام

I said—and patience contends with sorrow,

My heart is seized, my tears concur.

إِن كانَ لي عِندَكَ هَذا الهَوى

بِأَيِّما قُلتُ كَتَمتُ الغَرام

If with you I have this passion,

Tell me, with what have I concealed my love?