يا عَبرَتي هَذِهِ الأَطلالُ وَالدِّمَنُ

فَما اِنتِظارُكِ سيلي فَهيَ لي وَطَنُ

My ruin, these remnants and ashes

Why do you await the flood, for this is my homeland

لَم أَلقَ قَبلَ ابنَةِ السَّعديِّ لي سَكَناً

يَكادُ يَلفِظُ روحي بَعدَهُ البَدَنُ

Never before did I find rest in the daughter of Sa'd

My soul nearly departs my body after her

تَلَفَّتَ القَلبُ نَحوَالرَّكبِ حينَ ثَنى

عَنِ التأَمُّلِ طَرْفِي دَمعِيَ الهَتِنُ

My heart turned towards the caravan when

My eyes turned from contemplation, my tears seduced me

غَدوا وَما فَلَقَ الإِصباحَ فالِقُهُ

فاللَيلُ لِلنّاسِ غَيري بَعدَهُم سَكَنُ

Tomorrow, though the dawn has not yet cracked its dawn

The night for people other than me is home after them

في القُربِ وَالبُعدِ مالي مِنهُمُ فَرَجٌ

فالوَجدُ إِن نَزلوا والشَّوقُ إِن ظَعَنوا

Whether near or far I have no relief from them

Longing if they settle, and yearning if they journey

وَقَد سَكَنتُ إِلى الأَخبارِ بَعدَهُمُ

وَعِندي المُزعِجانِ الذِّكرُ وَالحَزَنُ

And I had settled for news of them after their departure

While the two disquieters for me are memory and sadness

والأُذنُ تَسمَعُها وَالقَلبُ يَصحَبُهُم

وَأَنتِ يا عَينُ لا يَعتادُكِ الوَسَنُ

My ear hears them and my heart accompanies them

While you, oh eye, are not accustomed to drowsiness

فَلَيتَ حَظَّكِ مِنهُم مِثلُ حظِّهِما

ما آفَةُ العَينِ إِلّا القَلبُ والأُذنُ

If only your fortune with them were like that of the heart and ear

No affliction of the eye but the heart and ear