مَضى الوَصلُ إِلّا مُنيَةً تَبعَثُ الأَسى
أُداري بِها هِمَّتي إِذا اللَيلُ عَسعَسا
The union has passed away, leaving behind only demise which evokes sorrow.
I occupy my worries with it when the night grows dark.
أَتاني حَديثُ الوَصلِ زوراً عَلى النَوى
أَعِد ذَلِكَ الزورَ اللَذيذَ المُؤَنِّسا
The talk of union came to me falsely, over my companions.
Repeat that sweet, comforting falsehood.
وَيا أَيُّها الشَوقُ الَّذي جاءَ زائِراً
أَصَبتَ الأَماني خُذ قُلوباً وَأَنفُسا
O longing which came visiting,
You have attained wishes, take hearts and souls.
وَيا أَرَقَ الهِجرانِ بِاللَهِ خَلِّ لي
مِنَ النَومِ ما أُقري الخَيالَ المُعَرِّسا
O most sleepless of estrangements, for God’s sake give me
Some slumber to appease my fanciful imagination.
كَسانِيَ موسى مِن سَقامِ جُفونِهِ
رِداءً وَسَقّاني مِنَ الحُبِّ أَكؤُسا
Like Moses, homesickness has clothed me
In a cloak and given me cups of love to drink.
فَلا صَرَّدَ اللَهُ الشَرابَ الَّذي سَقى
وَلا خَلَعَ اللَهُ الرِداءَ الَّذي كَسا
May God never remove the drink which He gave,
May God never take away the cloak in which He clothed me.
تَلاقَت لِشَكوى البَينِ أَنفاسُنا فَقُل
شَذا الرَوضِ في حَرِّ الهَجيرِ تَنَفَّسا
Our sighs met to complain of separation, so say:
The breeze of the garden exhaled in the heat of desolation.
وَنادَيتُ بِالتَرحالِ عَنهُ تَصَنُّعاً
لَعَلَّ النَوى مِنهُ تُلَيِّنُ ما قَسا
I called for leaving him, pretending,
Hoping that my companions might soften what had hardened.
وَقُلتُ عَساهُ إِن رَحَلتُ يَرِقُّ لي
وَقَد نَسَخَت لا عِندَهُ ما اِدَّعَت عَسى
I said perhaps if I depart he will yearn for me,
But he has no “perhaps” or “maybe.”
وَقالَ اِرضَ هُجراني بَديلَ النَوى وَقُل
لَعَلَّ مُنايانا تَحَوَّلنَ أَبؤُسا
He said: “Be content with my estrangement in place of company and say
Perhaps our deaths will turn out more anguished.”
أُنادي سُلُوّي لِلَّذي حَلَّ مِنكَ بي
كَأَنّي أُنادي أَو أُكَلِّمُ أَخرَسا
I call my consolation for what has befallen me from you
As if calling out or speaking to one mute.
