تذكَرتُ الزهور فذكَّرتْني

بَيانِي والجُمَيّلَ والشَّبابا

I was reminded of flowers, so they reminded me

Of my eloquence, beauty, and youth

ثلاثٌ كنَّ من نعم الليالي

غدونَ اليوم يأساً واغترابا

Three things that were the blessings of nights

Today they have become despair and estrangement

أخٌ في مصر بادلني ولاءً

صفا كطباعه معنىً وطابا

A brother in Egypt reciprocated loyalty

With sincerity like his nature, meaning and goodness

إذا جَمَعَتْ لنا الأيامُ شملاً

بلغنا بالزهورِ منىً عِذابا

If days gather us together again

We will attain, through flowers, the object of desire

وقد ذَهَب الشبابُ فكان أَنَّا

تبدّلْنَا من الشَّيبِ الخضَابا

And youth has gone, so it was as if

We changed from gray hair to dye

كذبتُ به على نفسي بنفسي

مخافةَ أن تقول الغيدُ شابا

I lied to myself about it with myself

Fearing that time would say "a youth"

إذا استرسلتَ كرهاً في مجازٍ

فخُذْ بالوهم واتَّرِكِ الصوابا

If you ramble reluctantly in metaphors

Take fiction and leave truthfulness