ماذا دعاكَ إلى التَّذكُّرِ بعدما

ركضَ الزَّمانُ بسيفِ بينٍ مُصْلَتِ

What reminded you of remembrance after

Time had run with the sword of separation between us?

قد كان عهدًا غابرًا عَصفتْ به

رِيحُ الفراقِ فلم يكن بالمُفْلِتِ

It was a bygone era blown away

By the winds of parting, with no escape

هل عائدٌ مِن بعدِ أنْ شحطَ النَّوى

وتقطَّعتْ حِيَلُ الوصالِ وأبْلتِ

Can it return after the cord of intimacy was severed

And the means of reunion failed and wore out?

وتشتَّتَتْ سُبلُ المزارِ فما لها

حادٍ فيهديَها إذا هيَ ضلَّتِ

The paths to visitation are dispersed with no one

To guide them when they go astray

ما أسرعَ الأيامَ في وثباتِها

وأشدَّها بطشًا إذا هيَ ولَّتِ

How quickly the days leap in their bounds

And how violent they are when they attack!

قد كنتُ آمُلُ أن يعودَ وصالُنا

والعينُ تَذري الدَّمعَ حتى ملَّتِ

I used to hope that our union would return

While my eyes shed tears until they were weary

تاللهِ ما زال الفؤادُ بذِكرِها

يَشْجَى وإنْ رُسُلُ الوشايةِ حلَّتِ

By Allah! My heart is still remembering her

Yearning while the messengers of slander arrive

لا أدَّعي زُورًا ولكنْ أيقنتْ

منِّي ومنها النَّفسُ حين أقلَّتِ

I do not falsely claim, but my soul and hers

Were certain when it weakened and declined

قد كنتُ فيما قبلُ أزعمُ أنَّها

سيَحِينُ منها الوصلُ إنْ هيَ أوْلتِ

Previously, I claimed she would reunite

If she came back, but my heart refused

فزجرتُ قلبي حين طال تصبُّري

فأبَى وشَدَّ وسارَ حيثُ تولَّتِ

It pulled and walked where she turned away

Waiting, reciting the melodies of passion

مترقِّبًا يتلو ترانيمَ الهوى

مِن حيثُ ألقتْ سهمَها وتجلَّتِ

From where her arrow landed and she appeared

A day which time was stingy with, so it shortened

يومٌ به ضنَّ الزمانُ فأقصَـرَتْ

خطواتُه مِن حيثُ قَلَّ وقلَّتِ

Its steps from where it diminished and weakened

We enjoyed a brief union traced in the book of intimacy

نلهو بوصلٍ خَطَّ في سِفْرِ النَّوى

سطرينِ بل سطرًا وضلَّ فضلَّتِ

Two lines, no just one line, then it went astray

If that was a return, then welcome

لو كان مِن عَوْدٍ لِذاكَ فمرحبًا

بالبِشـرِ والتَّرحاب حيثُ أهلَّتِ

The good news and joy where it gathered

But fate insisted on agony

لكنْ تأبَّى الدَّهرُ إلا لوعةً

جادت بها كفُّ الزمان فعلَّتِ

Dealt by the palm of time so it twisted

The days made a sincere promise to it

عَقدتْ لها الأيامُ عزمًا صادقًا

فأقرَّتِ الأشجانَ حين أظلَّتِ

The sorrows settled when they shaded

It ignited for your heart the embers of yearning

أذكتْ لقلبِكَ جمرةَ الشَّوقِ التي

أوْلتْكَ منها مرَّتينِ وأصلَتِ

Which it inflicted on you twice and sparked

It slipped in a clear sign and concealed it

دسَّتْ بآيةِ بينِها وتكتَّمتْ

بل أفصحتْ عمَّا تخافُ وأجلَتِ

Nay, it openly declared what it feared and uncovered

So you sat counting the stars behind her travelling

فقعدتَ تُحصـي النَّجمَ خلفَ رِكابِها

مِن حيثُ دلَّ على الظَّعينِ ودلَّتِ

From where it indicated the slender one and pointed

With it, justifications were presented whose journey was long

وجرتْ بها حِجَجٌ يَطولُ بها المدَى

حتى استخفَّ بها الوشاةُ وأمْلَتِ

Until the slanderers took it lightly and dictated

So I stabbed the breast of separation with a flooding

فطعنتُ في صدرِ الفراقِ بعَبرةٍ

ملتاعةٍ أحْمَتْه ثُمَّ تدلَّتِ

Tear which it carried then dripped down

Maybe time will return as its era was

ولربَّما عاد الزمانُ كعَهدِهِ

فسَلَوتَ بَينًا جَلَّ حين تخلَّتِ

So you found intimacy plainly when it withdrew