عَرَضَتْ ناشِئَةُ المُزْنِ لَنا

فَاسْتَهَلَّتْ مِنْ أُصَيْحابِي دُموعُ

The ruins of Babylon appeared before us

And drew tears from my companions

هَزَّهُمْ بِالمَرْجِ ذِكْرى بابِلٍ

أنَّها مَرْمىً على العِيسِ شَسُوعُ

The memory of Babylon shook them

It is a place where Isa was crucified

فَتَجاذَبْنا على أَكْوارِها

ذِكَراً تَنْقَدُّ مِنْهُنَّ الضُّلُوعُ

We reminisced over its ruins

A memory that pierces the ribs

وَسَرى الطَّيْفُ فَلَمْ تَشْعُرْ بِهِ

مُقَلٌ لَمْ يَسْرِ فيهنَّ الهُجوعُ

The specter passed by unnoticed

By a group that did not return there

يَسْتَعِيرُ المَاء مِنْ أَجْفانِها

عَارِضٌ دَاني الرَّبَابَيْنِ هَمُوعُ

It borrows water from their eyelids

A visitor with a delicate, sad melody

وَمِنَ النّارِ التي تُضْمِرُها

أَضْلُعِي يَقْتَبِسُ البَرْقُ اللَّمُوعُ

And from the fire smoldering within

My ribs the flashing lightning is lit

لا سُقِيتُنَّ الحَيا مِنْ إِبلٍ

تَذْرَعُ الأرْضَ بِصَحْبي وَتَبوعُ

I wish I was watered with life from camels

That roam the land with my friends

فَارَقَتْ بَغْداذَ وَالقَلْبُ بِها

كَلِفٌ لا فَارَقَتْهُنَّ النُّسوعُ

It left Baghdad and my heart with it

Is burdened and not relieved of its sadness

وَبِنا شَوْقٌ إِلَيْها وَبِها

مِثْلُهُ لا أَجْدَبَتْ مِنْها الرُّبوعُ

And in me is a longing for it and in it

Is its equal, the winds have not dried it out

وَغَدَتْ تَمْري بِها أَخْلافَها

سُحُبٌ تَشْرَقُ مِنْهُنَّ الضُّروعُ

And it started passing through its generations

Clouds shining from it at dawn

وَلَئِنْ غِبْنا فَكَمْ مِنْ ظَاعِنٍ

وَلَهُ بَعْدَ تَنائِيهِ رُجوعُ

And if we are away for too long

There are many who go astray and return

إنّما نَحنُ بُدورٌ وَكَذا

شِيمَةُ البَدْرِ مَغِيبٌ وَطُلوعُ

We are but full moons and so

Is the nature of the moon, setting and rising