يا شَمسَ بَغدادَ إِنَّني دَنِفُ

إِذ ماتَ مِنكِ الوِدادُ وَاللَطَفُ

O sun of Baghdad, I am grieving

Since affection and kindness from you died

كَلِفتُ بِالشَمسِ مَن رَأى رَجُلاً

بِالشَمسِ يا قَومُ قَلبُهُ كَلِفُ

I was burdened with the sun when I saw a man

Whose heart, O people, was burdened with the sun

قَد قُلتُ لَمّا فَقَدتُ كُتبَكُمُ

كَعَهدِكُم وَالزَمانُ مُؤتَلِفُ

I said, when I lost your writings

Like your covenant, and time brings together

يا لَيتَ أَنَّ الرِياحَ جارِيَةٌ

تَسعى بِحاجاتِنا وَتَختَلِفُ

If only the blowing winds

Would carry our needs and alternate

لا كانَ قَلبي فَقَد شَقيتُ بِهِ

يُخفي وَجيباً وَتارَةً يَجِفُ

My heart, had I but lost it, I would have suffered with it

At times hiding, at others barren

يَهذي بِظَبيٍ مُنَعَّمٍ تَرِفٍ

أَحوَ بِثَوبِ الجَمالِ مُلتَحِفُ

It raves about a graceful, pampered gazelle

Clad in the garb of beauty, shrouded

ظَبيٍ غَريرٍ يَزينُهُ شَنَفٌ

لا بَل بِهِ قَد تَزَيَّنَ الشَنَفُ

A charming gazelle adorned with grace

Rather, grace itself adorned with it

أَطاعَهُ الحُسنُ وَالبَهاءُ فَقَد

زَهاهُ عُجباً بِنَفسِهِ صَلَفُ

Beauty and splendor obeyed him, so

Proudly he adorned it with wonder at himself

حالَت مَقاديرُ دونَ رُؤيَتِهِ

لَيتَ المَقاديرَ غالَها تَلَفُ

Circumstances prevented me from seeing him

Would that circumstances had destroyed themselves

يا قَمَراً عُطِّلَ الظَلامُ بِهِ

يا دُرَّةً لَم يُكِنَّها الصَدَفُ

O moon that dispelled the darkness

O pearl that no oyster contained

يا جَنَّةً لا يَموتُ ساكِنُها

كُلُّ ضَميرٍ إِلَيكِ يَنصَرِفُ

O garden whose dweller never dies

Every conscience is inclined toward you