صَحيفَةٌ كُتِبَتْ ليتٌ بِها وعَسى

عُنوانُها راحَةُ الرَّاجِي إذا يَئِسا

A page was written, if only it would come true

Its title being “The Rest of the Hopeful when in Despair”

وَعْدٌ لهُ هاجِسٌ في القَلْبِ قد بَرِمَتْ

أَحْشاءُ صَدْري بِهِ مِنْ طُولِ ما هَجسا

A nagging promise in my heart has become withered

My chest bursting with it after so long coveting

يراعةٌ غَرَّنِي مِنها وَمِيضُ سَنىً

حتَّى مَدَدتُ إِليها الكفَّ مُقْتبِسا

An illusion which seduced me, the flash of years

Until I reached out to it with cupped hands

فصادَفَتْ حَجَراً لوْ كنتَ تَضْربُهُ

مِنْ لؤمِهِ بِعَصا مُوسَى لَما انبَجَسا

Only to find a rock, if you were to strike it

With Moses’ stick, it would not gush water

كأَنَّما صِيغَ مِنْ بُخْلٍ ومِنْ كَذبٍ

فَكانَ ذاكَ لهُ رُوحاً وذا نَفَسا

As if it was molded by miserliness and lies

Giving it a soul and breath

كلبٌ يَهِرُّ إذا ما جاءَ زائِرُهُ

حتَّى إِذا جاءَ مُهْدي تُحْفةٍ نَبسا

A dog growls when his visitor comes

Until when one bearing a gift arrives, he whimpers