أَدَرت تِلكَ الدُمى أَيَّ دِما

سفكتها باللِحاظ النُعَّسِ

That tear shed, what blood did it spill

When it flowed from those sleepy eyes?

وأسالت مِن جفوني عَندما

عِندَما سارَت بِتلكَ الأَنفسِ

It made my tears flow as well

When it strode with those sighs.

أَلَّفت ما بين شملي والنَوى

وَسرَت وَالبيتُ للقلب أَسَر

It united my determination and purpose

And went on while the house imprisoned my heart.

وَقضَت لي بتباريح الجوى

وأَحالَتني على حُكم القدر

It sealed my fate with the blows of separation

And left me to the judgment of destiny.

أَنجزت قَتلي جهاراً في الهَوى

وغدت تسأَلُ عنّي ما الخَبَر

It killed me openly in passion

And now asks what my state is.

لَو أَرادت سَلمُ لي أَن أَسلما

أَترعت قبلَ التنائي أكؤسي

If it wanted me safe and sound

I would have sipped my drink before the separation.

وأَزالَت ما بِقَلبي من ظَما

وَسَقتني من لَماها الأَلعَسِ

And it would have removed the pain in my heart

And quenched my thirst from its sweetest water.

ليتَها إِذ لَم تَجُد لي باللِقا

وعدَتني وصلَها بالحُلُمِ

If only when it did not find me in reality

And had promised me its companionship in dreams,

كَيفَ يأتي الطيفُ صبّاً قَلِقا

أَيَزورُ الطيفُ من لم يَنَمِ

How does a restless apparition come at dawn?

Does a specter visit one who has not slept?

وَلَقَد بتُّ من الشوق لقى

وَضجيعي طولَ لَيلي أَلَمي

I have spent the night sleepless from ardent longing

And my bedfellow was my own pain.

هَكَذا كلّ معنّىً بالدُمى

ليت شعري والجواري الكُنَّسِ

Thus every teardrop for me

As if I were distinguished among the neglected ones

أَم أَنا المخصوصُ منهنَّ بما

قد برى نَفسي وأَورى نَفَسي

By what my soul exonerated

And what my self concealed.