أقفرَ مِن سكانِه المعهدُ

فهل لقربٍ منهمُ موعدُ

The institute is deserted of its people

Is there an appointment to be near them soon?

هيهاتَ لا قربُهمُ يُرتَجى

ولا غرامي بهمُ يَنْفَدُ

Alas, their nearness cannot be hoped for

Nor does my passion for them ever fade

ولا دموعي بعدَ توديعِهم

تَرْقا ولا نارُ الهوى تَبرُدُ

Nor after bidding them farewell, do my tears

Flow copiously, nor does the fire of love grow cold

نأوا فلا الدارُ كعهدي بها

ولا أحبائي كما أعهَدُ

They went far away, so the house is not as I knew it

Nor are my loved ones as I was accustomed to

وقفتُ في الأطلالِ مستخبراً

هل أتهمَ الأحبابُ أو أنجدوا

I stood amidst the ruins asking

Have my loved ones come or can they be found?

فلم تُجبني مِن أسىً نالَها

عليهمُ أحجارُها الركَّدُ

It did not answer me despite the sorrow

Inflicted on them by its crumbling stones

وكانَ لي في نطقِها راحةٌ

لو نطقتْ أرسُمها الهُمَّدُ

It would have comforted me if its drawings could speak

If their erased features could utter a sound

أسألُها عنهمْ وفي أضلُعي

زفيرُ وجدٍ قلَّما يَخْمَدُ

I ask about them, while sighs of anguish

Rarely subside, churn within my chest

ضلالةً أسألُ عن حورِها

ما لا يعي منها ولا يُسعِدُ

Perplexed, I ask about their maidens

What neither comprehends nor brings joy

بَعُدتُمُ يا أهلَها بعدَما

أدناكُم الدهرُ فلا تُبْعُدوا

You went far, after fate drew you near

Do not go far away

ولم أجدْ لمّا ترحّلتُمُ

على النوى والبينِ مَن يُنجِدُ

And when you traveled I could not find

Anyone to help me across the distance of separation

أنشدُ في آثاركمْ بعدَكُمْ

قلباً بغيرِ الوصلِ لا يُنشِدُ

I recite poetry of your traces after you are gone

A heart that does not recite poetry except with your union

قد كانَ موجوداً فمذْ غِبتُمْ

ضاعَ فلا يُلفى ولا يوجَدُ

It did exist, but since you've been absent

It is lost, neither found nor present

أأجحدُ الوجدَ ولي أدمعٌ

شهودُها تُثْبِتُ ما أجحَدُ

Shall I deny the anguish while I have tears

Whose flow bears witness against my denial?

لا تحسبوا قلبي جوًى بعدكمْ

يَقَرُّ أو طرفي أسىً يَهجُدُ

Do not think after you my heart is content

Or my eyes are tranquil in their sleeplessness

ولا هدوئي ممكناً بعدَما

أصبحَ مِن دونكمُ الفَدْفَدُ

Nor is my peace of mind possible after

The twittering of birds has become tumultuous without you

وثوَّرَتْ نجبكمُ للنوى

تَقْدُمُهنَّ العِرْمسُ الجَلْعَدُ

Your playing grounds have been covered

By a flood of running water and hail

وغرَّدَ الحادونَ في اِثرِها

ليتَ حُداةَ العيسِ لا غرَّدوا

And the warblers sang in their ruins

Would that the wild doves had not sung!

والبينُ ما زالَ له مَوْرِدٌ

مستوبِلٌ يكرهُهُ الورَّدُ

And the distance still has a watering place

A persistent drizzle the roses dislike

هل يُبْلِغَنَّي حيَّكمْ بالحِمى

وبالعقيقِ البازلُ الأقودُ

Will they reach my tribe at the fortified abode

And the valley overflowing with hailstones?

اِذا ونتْ أو كَرَبتْ عيسُكم

تلغبُ اهوى وهو بي يُسئدُ

When your maidens become distressed or worried

My passion stirs and remains sleepless within me

فلا الفلا تمنعُه حثَّهُ

ولا اللَّوى والقُورُ والقَرْدَدُ

So neither highlands can stop its drive

Nor plains, hills or doubts

له على غاربهِ سائقٌ

لا يعرفُ الأينَ ولا يرقُدُ

It has a guide to its disappearing horizon

Who knows not where to alight or slumber

ملَّ ظلامُ الليلِ من عزمهِ

فيه إذا ما هجدَ الهُجَّدُ

The darkness of night fills with its determination

When the owls hoot mournfully within it

ما عارضٌ هَيْدَبُهُ مكثِبٌ

مُطَرَّزٌ مِن برقِه مُرْعِدُ

No opposing heights can halt its climb

Embroidered by its flashing lightnings

مجلجِلٌ شؤبوبُه دافقٌ

فهو على وجهِ الثرى مُزْبِدُ

Its passions surge like torrents

Spreading over the face of the earth

أغزرُ مِن دمعي وقد أزمعتْ

على الرحيلِ العُرُبُ النهَّدُ

More copious than my tears, when

The caravans prepared to depart

يا سربُ نعمانَ لقد شاقني

لما سنحتَ الرشاُ الأغيدُ

O flock of egrets! You have burdened me

When the watering opportunity drew near

مرَّ أمامَ السَّرْبِ يعطو وقد

وَلَّهَ عقلي جِيدُه الأجيَدُ

A graceful-necked one passed by the flock

And my reason was led away by its graceful neck

يَخْجَلُ غصنُ البانِ مِن قَدَّه

اذا تثنى قده الأملد

I have a spring whose blossoms give me drink

No other spring can quench me like it

لي من جنى مبسمه مشرب

لم يُغنني مِن غيرِه موردُ

It promises me union but then

Disappoints me by prolonged separation

يوعدُني الوصلَ ولكنَّهُ

يُخِلفُني بالمَطْلِ ما يوعدُ

It prolonged my sickness with its waiting until

My sickness grew accustomed to it

أطالَ بالمطلِ سَقامي الى

أنْ ملَّ أسقامي بهِ العُوَّدُ

Nights of nearness, can you return?

You were excessive in your long avoidance

ليالي القربِ هل لكِ أن تعودي

لقد أسرفتِ في طولِ الصدودِ

Virtues, as I passionately love

For life with virtue is praiseworthy

حميداتٍ كما أهوى سراعاً

فاِنَّ العمرَ بالعيشِ الحميدِ

My tears have watered our days with weakness

And its anguish has sweetened our time

سقى أيامنَا بالنَّعْفِ دمعي

وطيبَ زمانِنا بلِوى زَرودِ

While the downpour makes the prayer niche noisy

Driving its tithes with the roar of thunder

وحيّا المزنُ أكنافَ المصلى

يسوقُ عِشارَه حَدْوُ الرعودِ

Playful white smooth perfectly oval pearls

The graze freely though the meadow is forbidden

ملاعبٌ خُرَّدٍ بيضٍ حسانٍ

صقيلاتِ الطُّلى هِيفِ القدودِ

They came and went, while the meadows had a fragrance

That prevented the zeal of the jealous from them

نأينَ وفي الربوعِ لهنَّ عَرْفٌ

أقامَ بهنَّ مِن رَدْعِ النُّهودِ

Come to the aid of one in gloom from affliction

Who trails tears amidst the ruins

ألا يا ضرَّةَ القمرينِ رِقَّي

لمكتئبٍ مِنَ البلوى عَميدِ

As if his tears within them are scattered pearls

Their strings undone from necklaces

يُذيلُ الدمعَ في الأطلالِ ممّا

يُعانيهِ مِنَ الشوقِ الشديدِ

And he saw today's separation difficult

So how would separation's prolonged absence be?

كأنَّ دموعَه فيها لآلٍ

تناثرَ دُرُّهُنَّ مِنَ العقودِ

You captured his heart with the kohl of a glance

And the mole on a cheek and whiteness of a forehead

وكانَ يرى فراقَ اليومِ صعباً

فكيف يكونُ في الأمدِ البعيدِ

And you increased in me a surplus of love

While my passion has no more to increase

ملكتِ فؤادَه بكحيلِ طرفٍ

وفاحمِ طُرَّةٍ وبياضِ جيدِ

Help me endure the sleepless nights

When darkness wraps the darkened ruins

ورمتِ زيادةً في الحبَّ منّي

وليس على غرامي مِنْ مزيدِ

For before separation I was imagined as strong

But when it came I was not firm

أعينيني على سَهَرِ الليالي

اِذا جَنَّ الظلامُ على الهُجُودِ

And make me content with a modicum of life

For the hot-tempered are pleased with promises

فقبلَ البينِ كنتُ أُخالُ جلداً

فلمّا حَلَّ لم أكُ بالجليدِ

So the spies treat me unjustly

While my bodily sickness bears witness

وَمنّيني بعودِ العيشِ غضّاً

فاِنّ الحرَّ يقنعُبالوعودِ

My existence is for your union after estrangement

I accept it, hoping you will be generous

فكم يسعى بيَ الواشونَ ظلماً

إليكِ وسقمُ جسمي مِن شهودي

And my return to the accustomed

From your customary generosity of pacts

وجودي لي بوصلكِ بعدَ هجرٍ

رضيتُ به لعلَّكِ أن تجودي

Perhaps the house will draw near with its grove

And after prolonged barrenness, my firewood will bloom

وعودي بي إلى المعهودِ ممّا

به عُوَّدتُ مِن كرمِ العهودِ

For the skilled companions have tired of me

And my striving for needs and bridal payments

لعلَّ الدارَ أن تدنو نواها

ويورِقَ بعدَ طولِ اليُبْسِ عُودي

And my traversing the mirage-filled barren sea

Rising and falling within it

فقد سئمتْ مصاحبتي المَهارى

وشدَّي للحدائج والقُتودِ

And my justifying its waving undulation

When it recedes from joy and pleasure

وخَوضي بحرَ كلَّ سرابِ قفرٍ

عليها واعتسافي كلَّ بيدِ

Upon its shores are gazelles of passion

Whose strength is burdened by the cold

وتعليلي نجائبَها بهادٍ

اِذا كلتْ مِنَ المسرى وهِيدِ

Submissive to crisis, rising and descending

Seeking to alight or climb

على أكوارِها أنضاءُ شوقٍ

يؤودُ قواهمُ حملُ البرودِ

When the blazing heat makes them thirsty

My tears will quench their thirst better than cold water

ترامى بالأزمَّةِ خاضعاتٍ

لواغبَ في هبوطٍ أو صعودِ

For them and for those who visit them

When thirst inclines towards flowers

اِذا ما القيظُ اظمأها فدمعي

سَيُغنيها عنِ العَذْبِ البَرودِ

And if they are lost, I will guide them

When the traveling group is spotted on the horizon

لها ولِمنْ عليها منهُ وِردٌ

اِذا حَنَّ العِطاشُ إلى الورودِ

They protect loved ones since yesterday

My flowing tears and the reddening of cheeks

واِنْ ضلَّتْ سأهديها إذا ما

ألاحَ الركبُ من أرجِ الصعيدِ

If after separation they draw near me again

And the estranged union returns

تؤمُّ حبائباً مذ بِنَّ أمستْ

تُخّدَّدُ أدمعي وَرْدَ الخدودِ

That will be a blessing from fate in my view

And fortune's smile of happiness

لئن قُربَّنَ بعدَ البينِ منّي

وراجعَ عازبٌ الوصلِ الشريدِ

فذلكَ مِنَّةٌ للدهرِ عندي

واِقبالٌ مِنَ الحظَّ السعيدِ