شاقَ الفُؤادَ وَما نَشتاقُ مِن أُمَم
أَطلالُ مَنزِلَةٍ أَقوَت وَلَم تَدُمِ
My heart was broken, though for nations I do not yearn
Ruins of an abode I frequented, brief was its term
هِيَ الخَيالُ الَّذي أَهدى لَنا سَقَماً
إِذ زارَنا وَغَدا خِلواً مِنَ السَّقَمِ
A specter it was that brought us malady
When it visited, and left free of malady
ما زارَكَ الطَّيفُ مِن برٍّ تعَرّفهُ
لكِن تَمَنّيكهُ أَهداهُ في الحُلُمِ
No kindly phantom has visited you
Just your wish for it, giving in dreams
بِتنا وَباتَ يُمَنِّينا وُيُؤنِسُنا
بُخلاً عَلَينا وَلَمّا يُؤتَ مِن عَدَمِ
It slept with us, solacing and cheering us
Stingy with us, never conferring non-existence
لَو دامَ ذلِكَ لَم نَطمَح بِأَعيُنِنا
إِلى سِواهُ وَلكِن ذاكَ لَم يَدُمِ
Had it persisted we'd not have looked with our eyes
To another, but it did not persist
قَد هاجَ لي بكراً مِمَّن بُليتُ بِهِ
حَمامَتانِ عَلى غُصنٍ مِنَ السَّلَمِ
At dawn there stirred in me, whom I suffered from
Two doves on a branch of the acacia tree
تَناوَحانِ بِنَغماتٍ يَهيجُ لَها
قَلبُ الفَتى وَهوَ عَمّا تَعنِيانِ عَمي
Cooing with melodies that stir the heart of the lad
While he knows not what they mean, to him a puzzle
يا مَن رَأى عَرَبِيَّ اللَّفظِ هاجَ لَهُ
حُزناً فَقالَ عَلَيهِ نايِحُ العَجَمِ
O you who saw the Arabic-worded poet aroused
With grief, and over him lamenting the non-Arab
لا شَيءَ أَعجَبُ مِن قَتلي بِلا تِرَةٍ
مَتى أُقاد بِها كانَت وَلا تَدُمِ
Naught is stranger than my being slain without crime
When led to it - had it occurred, it would not have persisted
يا ذا الَّذي خانَ عَهدي إِذ وَثِقتُ بِهِ
قَد كُنتَ عِندي أَميناً غَيرَ مُتَّهَمِ
O you who betrayed my covenant when I trusted in him
You were to me honest, above suspicion
أَطمَعتَنِي في الهَوى حَتَّى إِذا سَمحَت
نَفسي مُنيتُ بِحَبلٍ مِنكَ مُنصَرِمِ
You tempted me into passion until when
My soul was open, I was duped by your rope
صَدَّقتَ فِيَّ أَقاويلَ الوُشاةِ وَلَم
تَسمَع مَقالي في عذري وَلا كَلمِي
You believed the words of the slanderers and did not
Hear my defense or my words
وَمَجلِسٍ نَظَرَت عَينُ السُّرورِ بِهِ
إِلى النّدامى بِأَلوانٍ مِنَ النَّغَمِ
A session the eye of bliss looked upon
At the repentant in shades of melody
ظَلَّت عَلَيهِ سَماءُ اللَّهوِ هاطِلَةً
بِالسَّكبِ مِن قطرِها وَالوَبلِ وَالدِّيَمِ
Over it the sky of frivolity poured down
Raining, dripping, steaming from its downpour
ثابَت إِلَيهِ مِنَ اللَّذاتِ ثايِبَةٌ
وَقَد أمِيطَ الأَذى عَنهُ فَلَم يَقُمِ
To it, of delights, flowing robes clung
While harm was unveiled from it, it did not arise
ظَلَّت أَباريقُنا لِلكَأسِ ساجِدَةً
فيهِ كَما خَرَّت الكُفَّارُ لِلصَّنَمِ
Our cups remained bowing down to the goblet
As did the pagans bow down to the idol
