وَلَّت بَشاشَةُ دُنيانا وَدُنياكِ
وَفارَقَ الأُنسُ مَغنانا وَمَغناكِ
Joy and bliss of our life have departed,
And companionship’s cheer left each lover downhearted,
حَماكِ دوني أُسودٌ لا يُطاوِلُها
شاكي السِلاحَ فَكَيفَ الأَعزَلُ الشاكي
Without me, dark lions circle your abode,
Yet weaponless, how can I dare fight this foreboded?
وَجَشَّموني عَلى ضَعفي وَقُوَّتِهِم
أَن أُمسِكَ القَولَ حَتّى عَن تَحاياكِ
For my weakness they mocked and their might extolled,
To hush my voice, even your name not to be told,
وَأَرصَدوا لي رَقيباً لَيسَ يُخطِئُهُ
هَجسُ الفُؤادِ إِذا حاوَلتُ ذِكراكِ
A watcher they set, no whisper of you missed,
Nor breath of yearning, when you were sweetly recalled,
يُحصي تَرَدُّدَ أَنفاسي وَيَمنَعُني
نَفحَ الشَمائِلِ إِن جازَت بِرَيّاكِ
To count every breath and forbid even a nod,
If your memory wafted, to smell your fragrance divine,
مُنِعتُ حَتّى مِنَ النَجوى وَسَلوَتِها
وَكَم تَعَلَّلتُ في البَلوى بِنَجواكِ
Even from whispers I’m banned, though balm to repined,
Yet still you I recalled, when anguish was mined,
ما كادَ يَأتي عَلى نَفسي وَيورِدُني
مَوارِدَ الحَتفِ إِلّا حُبُّكِ الزاكي
No doom could befall me, no death make me pine,
Except loving you purely, that virtue of thine,
تَناوَلَت ما وَراءَ النَفسِ غايَتُهُ
وَقَرَّ في خَلَجاتِ القَلبِ مَثواكِ
You grasped what beyond the soul, no end could confine,
In heart’s crevices resting, made there your shrine,
وَظَنَّ أَهلُكِ بي سوءاً وَأَرمَضَني
قَولُ الوُشاةِ وَدَعوى كُلِّ أَفّاكِ
Those yours deemed me ill, lies heeded and maligned,
From gossiping tongues and every backbiter’s slime,
قالوا سَلا عَنكِ غَدراً وَاِبتَغى بَدَلاً
وَكانَ بِالأَمسِ مِن أَوفى رَعاياكِ
They claimed I betrayed, other love to purloin,
When true I had been, of your loyal lieges sublime,
كَم لي أَحاديثُ شَوقٍ لا تُنافِحُها
زَهرُ الرِياضِ وَلا يَسمو بِها الحاكي
Longings I have, beyond words of man to define,
Nor bloom of gardens, nor poets in rhyme,
إِن تُنكِريها فَكَم طارَ الرُواةُ بِها
إِلى حِماكِ وَكَم قَد عَطَّرَت فاكِ
Disown them you may, yet carried with time,
To you they arrived, and your ears they did find,
سَتَعلَمينَ إِذا ما الغَمرَةُ اِنحَسَرَت
مَن صَدَّ عَنكِ وَمَن بِالنَفسِ فَدّاكِ
When darkness recedes, you will know in good time,
Who scorned you, who still to your memory was shrined,
رَمَيتُ عَنكِ إِلى أَن خانَني وَتَري
وَلَم أَخُن في إِساري عَهدَ نُعماكِ
I shunned you, betrayed, though you I resigned,
Never your troth-plight breaking, or trust undermined
