ذَكَرتُكَ لَمّا طَبَّقَ الأُفقَ عارِضٌ

وَأَعرَضَ بَرقٌ كَالضِرامِ لَموعُ

I remembered you when the horizon was darkened,

And lightning flashed like swords unsheathed.

وَأَنتَ مُقيمٌ حَيثُ لا البَرقُ يُجتَلى

بِعَينٍ وَلا روحُ النَسيمِ يَضوعُ

While you stay where no lightning flashes

In a beholder's eye, nor does the breeze's spirit stir.

غَريبٌ عَنِ الأَوطانِ لا لَكَ هَبَّةٌ

إِلَيها وَلا بَعدَ المُضِيَّ رُجوعُ

An exile from homelands, you have neither

A gift to them, nor after leaving, a return.

خَلا مِنكَ رَبعٌ قَد تَبَدَّلتَ بَعدَهُ

رُبوعَ بِلىً ما مِثلَهُنَّ رُبوعُ

Except for you, a quarter has passed and after it

Are ruins, the like of which are no ruins.

وَعاوَدَ قَلبي الذِكرُ إِذ نَحنُ جيرَةٌ

زَماناً وَإِذ شَملُ الجَميعِ جَميعُ

And memory returned to my heart, when we were neighbors

For a time, and when fellowship embraced all.

وَإِذ عَيشُنا الرَقراقُ يُسبِغُ خَفضَه

عَلينا وَإِذ طَيرُ النَعيمِ وُقوعُ

When our meager life lavished its lowliness

Upon us, and when the bird of bliss alighted.

إِلى أَن مَشى بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ الرَدى

وَقَطَّعَ أَقرانَ الصَفاءِ قَطوعُ

Until discord walked between you and I

And severed the peers of purity with felling.

وَفي كُلَّ يَومٍ صاحِبٌ أَستَجِدُّهُ

وَيَنزِعُهُ مِن راحَتَيَّ نُزوعُ

And each day I gain a companion I make new

Who takes him from my comfort with drawing away.

إِذا قُلتُ يَخطوهُ الحِمامُ هَوَت بِهِ

نُيوبُ رَدىً فيها السِمامُ نَقيعُ

When I say, the dove steps toward him,

The claws of discord plunge down holding sharp talons.

سَلامٌ عَلى تِلكَ القُبورِ وَجادَها

بِأَروى وَأَسنى ما يَجودُ رَبيعُ

Peace upon those tombs and their nobility

With the most plentiful and sweetest spring can bestow.

فَلا تَغبِطونا إِذ أَقَمنا وَأَنتُمُ

عَلى ظَعَنٍ إِنَّ اللِقاءَ سَريعُ

So do not envy us staying while you are

On a journey. Meetings will come with speed.